The Hindu Business Line : Cricket, Big B outdo Shah Rukh on KBC 3

Advertisement

Chennai Feb. 1 Comparisons are odious but it's par for the course when it involves a blockbuster TV show, two superstars, crores of rupees, and TRPs.

The third season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) certainly provided much fodder when Star announced that none other than actor Shah Rukh Khan would host the show. Amidst all the hype and debate of who makes a better host, Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh, Optimum Media Solutions (OMS), the Mudra group's independent media agency, did an `estimation of audience response' (EAR) study on KBC-3, and has concluded that if Star wants the show to work its magic on its fortunes as KBC-1 did, "it had better get its act together."

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Chandradeep Mitra, President, OMS, said the study, executed by Hansa Research, pointed to a definite disappointment among viewers. The general feeling is that the show is not the same without Amitabh Bachchan.

Though Shah Rukh was perceived as "warm and informal" he did not have the same stature as his predecessor, the majority of the respondents felt.

Combine the outcome of these feelings with the telecast of cricket matches on other channels, including a few World Cup ones, and Star will do well to repackage the show, introduce more elements and inject it with more excitement if it's to live up to its expectations of turning the tide for the TV channel and go on to future seasons, says Mr Mitra.

The OMS EAR study was done in two phases. One was a pre-launch study and the other was split between the telecast of the first day and that of the third day. aMAP ratings were also taken into account to give an integrated perspective that combined overnight audience ratings and overnight consumer research, a first in India, says Mr Mitra.

According to the post-launch study, only 44 per cent of respondents watched all the three episodes of KBC-3. Twenty-five per cent watched only the first episode. Thirty per cent watched two.

The aMAP ratings too bear out the decline in viewer interest - the opening rating was 5.3 but fell to 4.8 on the second day and further to 3.5 on the third day.

Cricket would provide much competition, Mr Mitra said. Forty-two per cent of those who missed the third episode cited the India-West Indies match as a reason - Doordarshan, despite telecasting it `live' with a time lag, garnered a rating as high as 2.7 against the third episode's 3.5.

Viewers also felt that Shah Rukh had not sustained the style and flair that he exhibited in the first episode, Mr Mitra said. Younger audiences, women and the higher SECs, as well as Delhi, are kinder to Shah Rukh and his KBC but when it comes to cricket, "the biggest threat" in Mr Mitra's words, a good chunk of the younger viewers and those in the higher SECs might turn away from KBC if matches are telecast live.

In the pre-launch survey, OMS found that though all categories of viewers preferred Bachchan as the host, 71 per cent were willing to give Shah Rukh a chance before writing him off. Only 21 per cent said they would definitely continue watching KBC-3.

The survey sample comprised 200 men and women in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata among the SEC A, B and C and in the age bracket of 25-44 years.

More Stories on : Marketing Research | Entertainment & Leisure | Radio/TV

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Shoppers' Stop to tie up with B-schools to retain staff

Cricket, Big B outdo Shah Rukh on KBC 3

Maruti, Hyundai raise prices

Automobile sales on a roll in January