BENGALURU: News18 India catapulted to first rank in week 23 of 2019 (Saturday, 1 June 2019 to Friday, 7 June 2019, week under review) from third rank in week 22 in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in the urban Hindi speaking market – HSM (U).  In the combined urban and rural Hindi speaking market – HSM (U+R), News18 India also jumped up two ranks in the week under review to second place from fourth in the previous week. Aaj Tak retained its first rank in HSM (U+R) and the rural Hindi speaking market – HSM (R) during week 23.

Ratings of individual channels as well as combined ratings of the top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R), HSM (R) and HSM (U) dropped drastically in week 23 of 2019 as compared to the ratings in the previous weeks. This can probably be attributed to BARC having reverted to the earlier process of treatment of landing page beginning with week 23, just 10 weeks after it had recommenced publishing of data in week 13 of 2019 after the implementation of TRAI’s new tariff order by the television industry and related ecosystems. Another reason could be the commencement of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in the UK in week 23 – the zonal time difference between India and the UK means that the second half of the matches completely overlap primetime news hours, it could be a combination of both, or other factors.

Time will reveal more once stability is brought into BARC’s reporting that it has been juggling around with and changing so frequently in the current calendar year. One gets the impression that instead of being a provider of pure viewership statistics, BARC is a watchdog handling multiple matters, not all of which may be within its purview/brief.

HSM (U+R)

While Zee News entered BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R), the other four channels in the list in week 23 of 2019 were the same as those in the list for week 22.

At rank one in HSM (U+R) in week 23 of 2019 was Aaj Tak as mentioned above with 110.763 million weekly impressions as compared to 180.445 million weekly impressions. Also as mentioned above, second rank in HSM (U+R) in week 23 of 2019 was News18 India with 97.484 million weekly impressions as compared to fourth rank and 129.795 million weekly impressions in week 22.

Continuing on at third rank was Republic Bharat with 90.570 million weekly impressions in week 23 of 2019 as compared to 136.544 million weekly impressions in week 22. India TV dropped down two places to fourth rank in the week under review with 88.807 million weekly impressions as compared to second rank and 136.544 million weekly impressions. Not far behind, Zee News entered BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U+R) with 88.617 million weekly impressions in week 23 of 2019.

HSM (R)

Four of the channels with respective ranks in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (R) in week 23 of 2019 were the same as those in the list for week 22. Zee News entered the list in week 23 at fourth rank.

As mentioned above, Aaj Tak retained first rank in HSM (R) in week 23 of 2019 with 50.815 million weekly impressions as compared to 83.626 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Also retaining second rank was Republic Bharat with 40.454 million weekly impressions in week 23 of 2019 as compared to 60.428 million weekly impressions in week 22. At third rank in week 23 of 2019 was ABP News with 38.881 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 55.567 million weekly impressions in the previous week.

Entering at fourth rank in HSM (R) was Zee News with 35.166 million weekly impressions during the week under review. At fifth rank was News18 India with 34.771 million weekly impressions as compared to fifth rank and 47.557 million weekly impressions in week 22.

HSM (U)

The five channels in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 Hindi news channels in HSM (U) were same, with a shuffling in ranks.

News18 India leapt to first rank in week 23 of 2019 with 62.713 million weekly impressions as compared to third rank and 82.238 million weekly impressions in week 22. Aaj Tak was at second rank with 59.948 million weekly impressions in week 23 of 2019 as compared to first rank and 96.820 million weekly impressions in week 22.

India TV also dropped a place to third week in week 23 of 2019 to 54.765 million weekly impressions as compared to second rank and 82.938 million weekly impressions in week 22. Zee News jumped up a rank to fourth place with 53.451 million weekly impressions as compared 53.451 million weekly impressions in week 22. Republic Bharat dropped a place during the week under review to fifth rank with 50.116 million weekly impressions as compared to fourth rank and 73.132 million weekly impressions in week 22.