The return of the ratings

Broadcasters enjoyed the break from ratings. Are they ready to welcome them back?

“It has been two months of bliss,” says Ashok Venkatramani, half-joking. The CEO of MCCS (ABP News et al) is talking about the nine-week ban on ratings data. “It has meant that our teams were working harder to make sure they are strategic rather than tactical on both content and sales,” adds Tarun Katial, CEO, Reliance Broadcast Networks. That sort of sums up how the Rs 34,000 crore Indian television industry feels about the break from the metric that determines their life every Wednesday.

And now that ratings are due to make a comeback from December 19, next week? “It will make life that much more simpler as we will be able to measure our efforts. It will also mean early morning alarms on Wednesdays,” quips Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors - Viacom18.

Earlier this year, it was decided that ratings would be suspended beginning October 7. This was to ensure a smooth transition from analog to digital in the four metros, which were rushing to meet the mandatory digitisation deadline. It was as Nayak says “An industry decision with advertisers (Indian Society of Advertisers, Advertising Agencies Association of India), and broadcasters (Indian Broadcasting Federation), being party to it.” While the suspension was for the four metros, TAM Media Research extended it to the rest of the markets too, to avoid confusion.

The suspension hit big shows launched around that time, such as Colors’ Bigg Boss. “I believe we could have monetised Bigg Boss by another 25 per cent if the opening ratings had come out,” says Nayak. “But,” he adds, “otherwise life was normal from an advertising revenue front.”