GECs
Exit ‘Idol’, enter refurbished, reslotted SET
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MUMBAI: After Indian Idol, what? That has been the question on many a mind as Sony Entertainment Television prepares to bid adieu to its big ticket reality show which has created such a frenzy. A whole lot actually. Idol’s finale on Saturday will be followed up with new shows, changes of time slots and sprucing up of current properties. Heavy duty programming rejigging is what SET will witness all this month, SET business head Tarun Katial has revealed to indiantelevision.com.
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On the cards now, is the reslotting of Aahat 2 which will shift position from 9 pm on Fridays to the Idol slot at 9:30 pm.  Slotting into the vacant Thursday 9:30 to 10:30 pm space will be Jassi Jaissi Koi Nahin and Yeh Meri Life Hain, both of which will return to their original four days a week run. Jassi… will air at 9:30 pm and Yeh Meri… at 10 pm.
One positive going for KYHPH will probably be that none of Balaji’s heavyweight “K” soaps air at the same time on Star Plus. So there will be no head-to-head as it were. |
| ‘JASSI’ MAKEOVER WITHIN NEXT 15 DAYS
Ayushmaan (the Indianised Doogie Howser MD), meanwhile, will be refurbished with the essential tweaking that the property currently demands, says Katial. And as for Indian Idol, although it bids adieu in the next four days, it will return for its second season in the second half of 2005, he promises.
Thats the action for the month of March. Will SET manage to capitalise on the impact made by Idol. That’s the million dollar question. |
Already up and running is Batliwalla House No 43 slotted at 9 pm every Friday launched last week.
One show that is getting the heave ho is the twins separated at birth tale Hum Do Hain Na that launched last August. Shortly taking its place is “a very different passionate love story” Kaisa Yeh Pyaar Hain from soap factory Balaji Telefilms. KYHPH will air at 8 pm Mondays through to Wednesdays.
Coming to current properties, lead character Jassi in Jassi Jaissi.. will finally adorn the much awaited new avatar and the plot promises to get a lot thicker in no less than 15 days. One point of note is that Katial has no plans to take Jassi.. off air anytime in the foreseeable future. So where the story is now headed will be worth watching.
GECs
Zee tops fiction charts across six languages with strong show lineup
Broadcaster secures nearly half of top 10 spots as fiction strategy pays off
MUMBAI: Fiction is proving to be Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s winning script. The broadcaster has emerged as the dominant force in television fiction, occupying an average of five spots in the top 10 charts across six major language markets.
Across Hindi (Pay), Marathi, Bangla, Odia, Kannada and Telugu general entertainment channels, the company commands a 48 per cent share of the top 10 fiction rankings, according to BARC data for weeks four to seven of 2026 among urban audiences aged 15 and above.
The strong showing reflects the company’s renewed focus on storytelling driven by cultural insight and local relevance. With family viewing still centred around prime time, Zee continues to attract more than 20 per cent viewership share across genres in this high engagement window, outperforming competitors.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, chief content officer Raghavendra Hunsur, said the results underline the effectiveness of the company’s sharply defined multilingual content strategy.
“The achievement is a firm testament to our content strategy across languages, which is clearly resonating with viewers,” Hunsur said. “Fiction shows remain the heart of entertainment. We will continue building both fiction and non fiction offerings that are authentic, engaging and rooted in local storytelling.”
The company’s Hindi flagship channel Zee TV has placed four relatively new launches among the top 10 shows in the Hindi Pay GEC category. These include Tumm Se Tumm Tak, Ganga Mai Ki Betiyan, Vasudha and Lakshmi Nivas, all introduced within the past 18 months.
Regional markets are delivering equally strong performances. Zee Marathi has recorded a 470 basis point rise in market share to 34.7 per cent in January 2026 compared with January 2025. Four of its shows, Kamli, Taarini, Veen Doghatli Hi Tutena and Lakshmi Nivas, feature among the top 10 in the Marathi GEC genre.
In eastern India, Zee Bangla has reclaimed leadership in the Bangla GEC segment in week seven of 2026, driven by five shows in the top 10 including Parineeta, Taare Dhori Dhori Mone Kori, Jowar Bhata, Amader Dadamoni and Chirodini Tumi Je Amar. The top ranked show Parineeta draws inspiration from Gen Z insights, reflecting changing audience sensibilities.
Zee Sarthak continues its five year leadership streak in the Odia GEC space with shows such as Sathi Sata Janmara, Suna Jhia, Tu Khara Mu Chhai, Tuma Bina and Bhagya Rekha occupying the top positions.
In the south, Zee Kannada maintains its long standing dominance, leading the Kannada GEC market for seven consecutive years. Seven fiction titles including Karna, Lakshmi Nivasa, Annayya, Amruthadhaare, Naa Ninna Bidalaare, Adi Lakshmi Purana and Brahmagantu form the top 7 shows in the category.
Zee Telugu is also gaining ground, emerging as the biggest channel across genres in Hyderabad while strengthening its position in the Telugu GEC segment across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Shows such as Jagadhatri, Meghasandesam, Jayam and Chamanthi occupy four of the top 10 spots.
With its regional channels gaining traction, Zee says it will continue sharpening its content playbook, focusing on stories that reflect everyday lives while tapping into evolving viewer preferences across markets.
