BARC: India Today TV topples Times Now; bags pole position

BARC: India Today TV topples Times Now; bags pole position

MUMBAI: Week 22 of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) ratings saw India Today Television (erstwhile Headlines Today) creating a new record by taking over the leadership slot within the second week of its launch. In the English news genre, India Today Television claimed the top slot with 354 (000’s sum).

 

As a direct result of this, Times Now lost its leadership slot and was pushed back to the second slot with 264 (000’s sum) followed by NDTV 24x7 with 107 (000’s sum).

 

Speaking on the ratings, India Today Group CEO Ashish Bagga said, “India Today Television aims to redefine the TV news space with pioneering content and a multidimensional visual format. This backed with the gold standard of journalism that India Today has always stood for, is drawing unprecedented attention and we are extremely delighted to see this viewership. We will keep working hard to raise the bar and to become the single most important knowledge source for the viewer.”

 

Week 22 observed no change in the pecking order of Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs). Star Plus continued to strengthen its viewership as it recorded 395608 (000’s sum) followed by Colors with 368444 (000’s sum).

 

Zee TV retained its number three slot with 232732 (000’s sum) followed by Life OK with 230076 (000’s sum). Sab occupied the fifth position with 202904 (000’s sum).

 

Amongst the top three programs, Star Plus’s Saath Nibhaana Saathiya continued to rule the charts with 7168 (000’s sum). Interestingly, Colors’ two shows ranked at number second and third spot respectively. Thus, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat secured 5195 (000’s sum) followed by Sasural Simar Ka with 4827 (000’s sum).

 

In the Hindi news broadcasting space, Aaj Tak had a stranglehold over its numero uno position with 27795 (000’s sum) followed by ABP News with 27012 (000’s sum). India TV occupied the third slot with 23460 (000’s sum).

 

Bindass continued to lead in the youth space with 2847 (000’s sum) followed by MTV with 2268 (ooo’s sum). Channel V registered the third slot with 1199 (000’s sum).