TV channels that were expecting to wind down after the cricket World Cup, were pleasantly surprised by the additional revenues they earned from the interest in the protest at Jantar Mantar
Moneylife Digital Team
Television viewer interest in Anna Hazare's hunger fast against corruption drew sizeable advertisement revenue amounting to about Rs176 crore for TV channels, according to a report by a television monitoring agency.
After the cricket World Cup final on 2nd April, it was generally felt that television ratings would slip. However, Anna Hazare's campaign for an effective law against corruption took the people by storm, immediately afterwards, giving television channels another reason to smile.
According to the report by Esha, the news monitoring agency, the coverage of the hunger protest at Jantar Mantar was a business delight for TV channels. The report says that on 5,657 video clips of the protest broadcast between 3rd April and 11th April, the channels earned Rs 175.86 crore.
Anna Hazare and his associates had announced their decision to undertake the hunger protest at the beginning of February. On 5th April, the activists marched to Jantar Mantar where they began the protest. As the word spread, thousands joined in from around the country, making it one of the most-viewed events (after the World Cup) this year.
Most of the advertisements reportedly poured in on 8th April, the day Mr Hazare gave the call for a 'jail bharo andolan', after the government rejected the option of including civil society activists in the drafting committee for the new Lokpal Bill. It was also the day when Baba Ramdev and other prominent figures joined Mr Hazare at New Delhi.
CNN IBN, with a share of Rs23 crore, garnered the maximum share, followed by NDTV 24X7 and Times Now respectively. Zee News, which gave maximum coverage, earned Rs580.75 lakh from advertisers.
The media hype surrounding the event was tremendous, and the 24X7 live coverage of the hunger protest kept the nation hooked. With many Bollywood stars and India's popular godmen declaring their support too, the anti-corruption agitation swept the nation. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook saw frenzied activity, with people joining the movement online, declaring their 'virtual presence' at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with Mr Hazare.
Feeling the pulse of the moment, the electronic media decided to go with the flow. The events at Jantar Mantar were reported in an overwhelming positive tone. Only a paltry 65 video clips had anything critical about Mr Hazare and the movement. Simultaneously, scorn was heaped on the government and politician. At the end, when the government agreed to his proposals and Anna Hazare ended the fast, a festive spirit engulfed the country.
The prime time slot, between 7pm and 11pm, received collections of Rs52 crore over eight days, while the non-prime time slot earned revenue of Rs123 crore. Among business channels, Zee Business was the top earner, with Rs191 lakh for prime-time coverage and Rs103 lakh in the non-prime time hours.
Understandably, the coverage was limited on the general channels. Among the regional channels, Marathi channels like IBN Lokmat and Star Majha gave the most coverage and earned the most.
The coverage has since normalised, although speculation continues over what will become of the Jan Lokpal Bill, or the representatives leading the case who will understandably be severely targeted. The media will be hoping it can squeeze some more revenue if interest is re-ignited in the saga.