BENGALURU: The combined viewership ratings of the top 5 English news channels in week 23 of 2019 (Saturday, 1 June 2019 to Friday, 7 June 2019) plunged to an all-time lowest total since Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) recommenced publishing of ratings in the public domain after implementation of TRAI’s new tariff order in week 13 of 2019. The combined ratings of the top 5 English news channels were just 2.087 million weekly impressions as compared to the highest ever ratings attained by them in the previous week (week 22 of 2019) at 6.442 million weekly impressions and the 4.984 million weekly impressions in exit opinion poll and election results week – week 21 of 2019. The previous nadir was in week 17 of 2019 when the top 5 English news channels - All India (U+R): NCCS AB: Males 22+ Individuals - had garnered a combined total of 2.101 million weekly impressions.
It must be noted that the same channels have figured in BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 English news channels in eleven weeks between weeks 13 and 23 of 2019. Please refer to the figure below:
The Arnab Goswami-headed Republic TV clambered back to its first rank with 0.582 million weekly impressions in week 23 of 2019 as compared to 1.827 million weekly impressions and rank 2 in the previous week versus 1.414 million weekly impressions and rank one in week 21 of 2019. Post the republication of BARC data, the channel’s own nadir in news ratings was in week 17 of 2019 at 0.574 million weekly impressions, albeit at rank 1.
Climbing up a place to rank two was Times Now with 0.463 million weekly impressions in week 23 of 2019 as compared to third rank and 1.201 million weekly impressions in week 22; second rank and 1.058 million weekly impressions in week 21. The channels lowest ratings after recommencement of publication of BARC data in the public domain was in week 13 of 2019 at 0.421 million weekly impressions and rank 3.
At third rank was pubcaster Doordarshan’s English news channel DD India with 0.408 million weekly impressions as compared to rank 4 and 0.704 million weekly impressions in week 22; rank 3 and 0.884 million weekly impressions in week 21 of 2019. DD India’s ratings for week 23 of 2019 was the lowest garnered by the channel since week 13 of 2019, the previous lowest being 0.511 million weekly impressions and second rank in week 17 of 2019.
Dropping down three places to fourth rank was CNN News18 with 0.375 million weekly impressions as compared to rank one and 2.173 million weekly impressions in week 22; rank 5 and 0.772 million weekly impressions in week 21 of 2019. The channel’s lowest ratings post republication of BARC data in the public domain was in week 15 of 2019 at 0.259 million weekly impressions and rank 4.
Completing the quintet of the top 5 English news channels at rank 5 in week 23 of 2019 was the India Today group’s India Today TV with 0.259 million weekly impressions as compared to rank 5 and 0.537 million weekly impressions in week 22; rank 4 and 0.856 million weekly impressions in week 21 of 2019. The channel scored its lowest ratings post recommencement of BARC data in the public domain in week 14 of 2019 with 0.211 million weekly impressions and rank 5.
