The Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC) space has traditionally been dominated by four giants ? Star Plus, Zee, Colors and Sony, touted as the tier-I channels of Indian television. Of late, this space is witnessing an exciting battle of numbers, as SAB TV, the sister channel of Sony-owned Multi Screen Media, has climbed up the TRP ladder, to topple Sony from the fourth position.
The latest TAM data for the 9th week of 2011 shows SAB occupying the No. 4 position with 153 GRPs (gross rating points) and a channel share of 12.4%, while Sony has been pushed one place down with 136 GRPs and a channel share of 11%. SAB has grown from 138 GRPs and a 9.8% channel share at the beginning of the year to the current figure. This growth has not happened overnight. Sab TV has come a long way from attaining leadership position in tier-II GECs, which also include Imagine TV, Star One, Sahara One, Star Utsav, DD 1 and Zee Smile, to being reckoned with as a top family entertainment channel,
Riding on the huge success of its flagship show, ?Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma? that has consistently featured in the list of top 10 GEC programmes in the last four months, SAB has cemented its position in the light-hearted family entertainment and comedy genre. Other popular prime-time shows on the channel include ?Saajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo?, ?FIR?, ?Lapataganj?, ?Papad Pol?, ?Mrs. Tendulkar? and the weekly silent comedy ?Gutar Gu?.
Anuj Kapoor, executive VP and business head, SAB TV said, ?Our channel was originally youth-centric, targeting the 15-24 age group. But we realised that people falling in that bracket prefer to be on the internet than in front of the idiot box. We then positioned our channel as a destination for daily family comedy and light-hearted entertainment. Our comedy is clean. We do not show toilet humour or below-the-belt jokes. Neither is our content over-the-top, unlike in most daily soaps. Our characters are believable. We have stuck to this formula and our channel has grown almost 500% in terms of TRPs in the last two and half years.?
In an era of flashy reality shows featuring celebrities from tinsel town as judges or hosts, SAB TV is probably the only major GEC without a Bollywood star on board. Kapoor added, ?The content that most channels are offering is very similar. The saas-bahu soaps, music and dance talent hunts and game shows with similar rules and same stars create a sense of monotony for the viewer. They tune into SAB and find something light, fresh and different.?
On competition from showpiece sporting events like the ICC Cricket World Cup and IPL which have matches in prime-time slots, Kapoor said, ?Cricket always challenges GECs. Hence to ensure that audiences stay loyal, we aggressively promote our afternoon repeats of prime-time shows. That is how we cover up for lost TRPs in the evening and our overall GRPs for the week don?t get affected.? Jehil Thakkar, partner, media and entertainment practice, KPMG says, ?There?s a demand for niche content in the market. SAB?s differentiated format has made it successful.?