When mandatory digitisation kicks in, it could affect the ratings of TV programmes. As people flirt with a new content landscape, the television rating points (TRP ratings) of several shows could change, feel experts. TRP is a tool to judge which programmes are viewed the most — across time belts, age group and social economic class, to enable advertisers to place their ads suitably.

There will surely be a flux in the first few months as viewers discover new channels and genres, says Mr Vishal Rally, Business Head, Big CBS Networks. “This will lead to higher level evolution.”

Big CBS (part of Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd) owns seven English, Hindi and Punjabi channels, and also distributes UTV Bloomberg.

Mr Rally says the estimates indicate that while overall ratings on TV channels will go up, the ratings per channel will come down.

Ratings are bound to skew in favour of new channels and programmes, till viewers discover and settle down with their “new favourites”. However, since content is the king, the channel which consistently offers good programmes will finally be the winner, says Mr V.C. Unnikrishnan, CFO of Sun TV Network, a leading broadcaster in the South.

There will certainly be a big change, since currently channel availability has been in the hands of the local cable operator and it will move to the hands of the end viewer, says Mr L.V. Krishnan, CEO, TAM Media Research. The reach of the non-mass genres too will go up due to the electronic guide on the user interface of the set-top boxes, he said.

rravikumar@thehindu.co.in

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