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Unit 1: Introduction to Management

Channel audience share peaked to a high of 8.7% during the eight weeks beginning July Notes
2nd 2000, compared with Sony TV's 7.2% and Zee TV's 6.8%. By September 2000, the
channel had 12 of its shows on the top 50 charts.
In the top 20 program list, Star Plus had 8 programs, versus Zee's 9 and Sony's 3, as
compared to the pre-KBC figures of 12 shows for Zee, 5 for Sony and just 3 for Star Plus.
From November 2000, Star managed to occupy 12 top slots in the TRP ratings. Post KBC,
the image of Star Plus as foreign channel changed considerably with viewers switching in
hordes to the channel. Riding high on the success of KBC, Star Plus launched follow-up
programs for KBC to sustain viewer interest in the channel.
The prime time slot was changed from 9-10 to 9-11 with two family dramas being aired
right after KBC. This succeeded in retaining the viewership of the channel. Putting KBC in
the prime time slot (9-10 p.m.) paid off for the channel, largely at the expense of Zee TV's
prime time slots. Sony also suffered to an extent and had to revamp its prime time serial
slots, but it was Zee, which faced the maximum erosion in its primetime viewership
ratings.

KBC's success changed the ground rules in the TRP race between the television channels.
Zee TV had to pool all its resources to combat the effect of KBC. Zee even changed the
timings of its popular prime time soaps. To lure back the audience lost due to the KBC
effect, Zee launched its Malamaal interactive contest. However, the promotion did not do
the trick for Zee, and the KBC menace continued to eat into its TRP ratings and ad revenues.
It was at this time that Zee TV decided that it had to come out with a program, which could
match KBC. Thus was born Sawal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK).
Zee seemed to have hit the wrong note from the very beginning, when it decided to make
SDCK a replica of KBC with Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirala as anchors. To lure away
KBC viewers, Zee decided to feed on their greed by offering prize money of 100 million
to the winner, as against KBC's 10 million, giving the show a tremendous response
initially.
SDCK had inaugural TRP ratings of 7.9 when it was launched in October 2000. However,
it slipped down to 3.7 within 3 weeks. During the same period, KBC moved up from 9.3 to
10.5. Thus December 2000 was a time of sweet victory for STAR TV's Indian arm. Archrival
Zee TV's (Zee) desperate attempt to cash in on the gameshow craze with their 'Sawal Dus
Crore Ka' (SDCK), was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. SDCK never really
managed to hit it off with the audience. SDCK was never able to reach the rating of its
inaugural show in its short lifespan. SDCK failed to sustain the viewer's interest in the
show from the very beginning.
Also, its anchors could not match the charisma and screen presence of Amitabh Bachchan.
SDCK was aired on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. putting it in
direct competition with KBC, which was aired on all weekdays, except on Friday, between
9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Media analysts commented that SDCK had failed to capture the
imagination of the audience.
The me-too image of the show was seen as a major hindrance to its popularity. SDCK sets
looked similar to KBC's with the same seating arrangement and similar blue lighting. But
there were undefined arches under which the contestants seemed to disappear. Even the
audience section was badly lit. On the program content front, SDCK's elimination rounds
were confusing - making things long and dull for the viewers. The language of the questions
seemed to be complicated to the viewers. It seemed as if even simple questions were
complicated, and this seemed to create confusion in the minds of the audience.

Contd....

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