BENGALURU: Recent events in the country resulted in the increase in viewership of news channels. Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for Top 5 English news channels in week 46 of 2019 (Saturday, 9 November 2019 to Friday, 15 November 2019, week or period under review) shows a sharp increase in ratings as compared to the previous week. Among the major news events that took place during the week under review was the Supreme Court’s verdict for the Ayodhya dispute. 

Over the past few weeks, combined viewership of the top 5 English news channels had stabilised to some extent and then witnessed a slight dip in week 45, which was followed by an increase of 0.696 million or 38.4 percent in week 46 of 2019. The combined weekly impressions of the top 5 English news channels were 1.813 million in week 45 and 2.509 million in week 46 of 2019.

A slight digression here. It must be noted that since week 13 until week 46 of 2019, the channels have been the same in BARC’s weekly list of Top 5 English news channels, except for tweaking of ranks. BARC has stopped publishing data in the public domain after week 5 of 2019 to allow ratings of channels to stabilize after the implementation of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) mandated New Tariff Order (NTO). BARC recommenced publishing data in the public domain in week 13 of 2019 on urging by TRAI.

Please refer to the figure below: 

Top 5 English news channels in week 46 of 2019

As mentioned above the Top 5 English news channels in week 46 have been the same since week 13 of 2019. In the case of week 46 of 2019, even the ranks of the channels were the same as in the previous week (week 45). 

Please refer to the figure below for ranks of the top 5 channels:

In absolute numbers, the Arnab Goswami-headed Republic TV saw the maximum increase in viewership with an uptick of 0.263 million impressions (44 percent increase), while India Today Television saw the ratings increase by just 86,000 (31.2 percent increase) in week 46 as compared to week 45 of 2019. In terms of percentage, pubcaster Doordarshan’s English news channel DD India saw viewership increase of 52.9 percent (0.148 million weekly impressions),while Times Now saw an increase of just 32.4 percent (0.152 million weekly impressions) in week 46 as compared to week 45 of 2019.

Over the past few weeks, combined viewership of the top 5 English news channels had stabilised to some extent and then witnessed a slight dip in week 45, which was followed by an increase of 0.696 million or 38.4 percent in week 46 of 2019.

Republic TV scored 0.859 million weekly impressions in week 46 as compared to 0.596 million weekly impressions in week 45 of 2019. At second rank, Times Now scores 0.565 million weekly impressions during the period under review as compared to 0.454 million weekly impressions in the previous week.

Ranked three in week 46 of 2019, DD India scored 0.428 million weekly impressions as compared to 0.280 million weekly impressions in week 45. India Today Television garnered 0.362 million weekly impressions in week 46 at rank 4 as compared to 0.276 million weekly impressions in week 45 of 2019. Completing the quintet at rank 5 was Network18’s CNN News18 which saw viewership increase of 88,000 weekly impressions in week 46 of 2019 to 0.295 million weekly impressions from 0.207 million weekly impressions in the previous week.
Please refer to the figure below: