The response to Aamir Khan's small-screen debut has been the subject of breathless speculation, sometimes appearing to exceed the hype around his films.The verdict is now in, with numbers from TAM Media Research, which were released on Wednesday, seeming to indicate that Khan's debut as a commenter on public affairs has been well received, with the absolute number of viewers exceeding those of the first episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), a popular quiz show, in 2011.The first episode of Khan's show, Satyamev Jayate, which was telecast on May 6, received a Television Viewership Rating (TVR) of 4.09 and was watched by 9 crore people.]
The 13-episode programme is being shown across eight channels of Star India, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, as well as on DD National, the flagship channel of state-owned broadcaster Doordarshan, at 11 am on Sunday. The talk show hosted by Khan, one of the big beasts of Hindi movies, highlights social issues such as female foeticide (the subject of the first show) with the intention of prompting the authorities to act.According to TAM, a media research agency that specialises in monitoring television viewership, the first episode reached out to Rs 2.67 crore viewers. This, says a channel source, translates to a viewership of 90 million (Rs 9 crore) using extrapolation methods common in the industry.KBC, hosted byAmitabh Bachchanand telecast on Sony entertainment channel, had a reach of around Rs 7.9 crore, though the comparison is imprecise as it was shown on prime time, which is 9 pm, and only on one channel. It had a TVR of 3.5. Khan followed up the first episode with a highly-publicised meeting with Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot, urging him to fast-track court cases that followed a sting operation exposing the practice of illegal sex determination in the state.Khan, new to the TVR game, says it is the absolute number that is important. "For me, I don't relate to ratings. What matters to me are the on-ground changes, the various governments that have reacted , the doctors in Rajasthan who have banded together to explain to their errant colleagues to change. This is what I set out to do and that it can happen on this scale is what thrills me."Media-buying sources say the ad rates commanded bySatyamev Jayatecome to . 4-5 lakh for a 10-second slot, a premium overKBCSeason 5, which got . 2.5-3 lakh per 10 seconds . Title sponsor Airtel paid a hefty . 18 crore, more than Cadbury's title sponsorship for KBC at . 16 crore.Mallikarjun Das, CEO-India at Starcom, attributes this to robust demand . "There is no slump in TV and this programme has delivered. In a fragmented media market, a 4-5 TVR is very good and if the show maintains at 4, its job is done. Besides, a brand backing a show like this gets several benefits and an equity rub-off on the brand as well," he says. Media planners are divided on the likely response to the remaining 12 episodes."I expect the ratings to hold at best, or maybe even drop. It will be very creditable if it ends its run with an average that is higher. This is not just because of the seriousness of the content, but also some of the early curiosity waning and people picking and choosing issues they want to watch in its entirety. The programme is long and, therefore , sustaining an average rating through its 1.5 hours is also a challenge," says Shubha George, CEO, MEC. Star India CEO Uday Shankar is confident that viewers will continue to watch the show. "It is difficult to predict whether it continues to hold, but no show has been tuned in by so many people," he said.
Source: Times of India?
