BARC Wk 23: Republic TV further consolidates its lead

Republic TV continues to put up a strong show in the English News channels space. As per BARC data for Week 23 (June 3-9) of 2017 [All India (U+R) : NCCS AB : Males 22+ Individuals], Arnab Goswami’s independent global media venture garnered a gross viewership of 1,054, an increase from 979 recorded last week. It may be recalled that the channel had secured a gross viewership of 2,117 in its first week of operations with a 52 per cent share of the viewership pie. 

Times Now is placed second with a gross viewership of 748 in Week 23, an increase from 662 recorded last week. 

CNN News18, which was ranked fifth in Week 22, has climbed up a couple of notches to the third spot this week. The channel has garnered a gross viewership of 336 in Week 23, compared to 251 recorded last week. 

India Today Television, meanwhile, slipped a notch from No. 3 to No. 4 in Week 23, securing a gross viewership of 307, a slight increase from 292 recorded last week. 

NDTV 24x7, too, slipped a notch to the fifth spot in Week 23, garnering a gross viewership of 278, a marginal decline from 279 recorded last week. 

It may be noted here that data for English news channels is not available for all days of Week 21, when they had decided to pull out of BARC and remove the watermarks following the Council’s refusal to heed to the News Broadcasters Association’s (NBA) request not to release the viewership data of Republic TV till the issue of use of multiple LCNs was resolved.