The TightRoPe Walk

The weekly toss-up in the Hindi general entertainment space is not only about who's got the best television shows on air, but about fighting for a share of the R3,200-crore ad pie. From new formats to second-line channels, networks are pulling out all stops to stay on top.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Star Plus, the leading Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) from Star India, finds its numero uno status on the GEC roster frequently challenged, where channels swap places on a regular basis. Recently, Zee Entertainment Enterprises promoted GEC Zee TV pipped Star Plus for the number one place. The grand finale of dance reality show Dance India Dance gave Zee TV the rush of ratings, allowing it to score 283 gross rating points (GRP) in week 33 (August 12-18) while Star Plus came second place with 255 GRPs, according to data released by television audience measurement agency TAM Media Research. In week 36 (September 2-8), Zee proved that its ratings climb-up was not an aberration and zoomed to top position again. A year back, it was Viacom18's GEC Colors that had dethroned Star Plus and was the major cause of worry for the channel.

According to the latest data available, things have rolled back into place for Star Plus. In week 37 (September 9-15), Star Plus leads the Hindi general entertainment pack with 250 GRPs, while Zee comes second with 240 GRPs.

The weekly toss-up implies an increase or decrease of ad revenues, since rates are validated on the basis of these GRPs. The fight is for the lucrative R3200-crore general entertainment ad pie, in an overall television advertising market of R12,000 crore. With one of the contenders—Imagine TV from the Turner Broadcast Networks stable—having called it a day earlier this year, it is also a fight for survival, say media buyers. As Ajit Varghese, managing director of media buying company Maxus, part of GroupM India, points out, gross rating points (GRP) are equivalent to market share. "Your confidence in a particular channel or network grows if it manages to retain the number one spot consistently," he says.

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