BENGALURU: The English news genre in India is a niche genre that often commands higher ad rates than its Hindi or regional news channel peers. Elections are cash cows for news channels is a given. Debates, polls, status of voting attendance on elections day in respective phases, results bring more than normal eyeballs to news channels. So how did the top 5 English news channels fare in week 21 of 2019 (Saturday, 18 May 2019 to Friday, 24 May 2019, week or period under review)?
In week 21 of 2019, two important events from the viewership perspective occurred – Exit Opinion Polls results were announced on 19 May 2019 on the evening of the seventh and last phase of elections, and on 23 May 2019 when the national election results were announced. Viewership, but naturally, shot up on these two days, and more soon the latter day/event.
According to Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) data for week 21 of 2019, the combined ratings of the top 5 English News channels more than doubled (went up by 122 percent, or were 2.22 times) as compared to the ratings in week 20.
The channels present in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 English news channels in week 21 of 2019 were same as in the previous week, but with some shuffling in the ranks. Four of the top five channels saw their ratings more than double, while one saw its ratings jump up by 64 percent as compared to the ratings of week 20. India TV Today saw the highest growth amongst the top 5 channels in week 21 of 2019 as compared to week 20. Further, it was the India Today Axis Survey opinion poll results announced on May 19, 2019 that came closest to the actual results that were announced on May 23, 2019.
Please refer to the chart below. (Please note that BARC had stopped publishing data in the public domain between weeks 6 and 12 of 2019 to allow ratings to settle after the implementation of TRAI’s New Tariff Order).
The Arnab Goswami-led Republic TV retained the pole position that it had been holding on to for the previous two weeks, in week 21 of 2019. Republic TV’s ratings were 1.44 times up (more than double – 2.44 times) at 1.414 million weekly impressions as compared to 0.613 million weekly impressions in week 20.
Times Now jumped up to second place in week 21 of 2019 with a 1.34 times increase (also more than double – 2.34 times) at 1.058 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 0.452 million weekly impressions in week 20.
Pubcaster Doordarshan’s English news channel DD India slipped down a rank to third place with a 63.7 percent rise in ratings at 0.884 million weekly impressions in week 21 of 2018 as compared to second rank and 0.54 million weekly impressions in week 20.
The India Today group’s English news channel Indian Today Television also retained its previous week’s rank 4 with a 1.65 times rise (more than double – 2.65 times) in ratings in week 21 at 0.856 million weekly impressions as compared to 0.323 million weekly impressions in week 20.
Completing the quintet while retaining its previous week’s rank of five was Network18’s English news channel CNN News18 which saw 1.44 times rise (more than doubled 2.44 times) at 0.772 million weekly impressions in the week under review as compared to 0.316 million weekly impressions in week 20.
Also Read:
Republic TV back on top as most watched English news channel
Dingdong contest between DD India and Republic TV in English news genre
Republic TV tops as most-watched private English news channel in new TRAI tariff regime
