News Headline
KTV trashes Vijay TV claim to No2 in TN
MUMBAI: Number 2? Let them first prove their claim to the Number 3 position in the Tamil language channel stakes, affirms the marketing head of KTV, P Saravanan, reacting to Vijay TV’s assertion that it has taken over the second position after Sun TV in Tamil Nadu.
Saravanan, in an official communiqu to indiantelevision.com, accused Vijay TV of using dubious methodologies to prove its contention that it was Number 2 behind runaway leader Sun TV. Saravanan says: “A channel-to-channel comparison was made (by Vijay) with just one-and-a-half hours of prime time and two hours of non-prime time. Does three-and-a-half hours of a 24-hour channel determine channel standings? That too when three-and-a-half hours was selected to include the cream of Star Vijay and the filler/re-run slot of KTV?”
Saravan’s response was a rather delayed reaction to TAM data (for the month of August) put out by Vijay TV in mid-September that it had inched past Sun’s sibling KTV to claim the number two slot in prime time.
(Refer to report Vijay TV claims to have inched past KTV for details)
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City
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Total Market
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Time Band
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TG
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Vijay TV
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K TV
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Raj TV
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Jaya TV
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Share
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Share
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Share
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Share
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19.30 – 21.00
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CS 4+ |
13.6
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9.7
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3.6
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2.7
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| CS AB 4+ |
21.5
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7.1
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3.2
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2.7
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| ABC 4+ |
17.0
|
8.8
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3.5
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3.4
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Dissecting the 7:30 to 9:00 pm data issued by Vijay, Saravanan explains that KTV had Sun TV reruns between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm. At 8:30 pm the KTV night movie has just begun, says he. Commenting on the 12 noon to 2 pm band where Vijay Vijay claimed a share in the C&S AB 4+ category as 10.6 to KTV’s share of 3.6, Saravanan says that between 12 noon and 1:30 pm there are filler film songs on air. At 1:30 pm the afternoon film just begins. The comparisons are just not valid is the point that Saravanan tries to establish.
Saravanan further states that it is the 7 pm to 11 pm prime time audience share that defines channel standing and for the month of August it was 13.03 per cent for KTV and 6.72 per cent for Vijay TV, he asserts.
Fastforwarding to the current situation, Saravanan says that in the 8 pm slot, the re-run that started from 16 September of Sun TV’s highest ever rated soap Chitthi, which had ended its innings on Sun last year, had put paid to Vijay TV’s top prime time serial Kavyanjali on the ratings front. Average TVRs for KTV the week that Chitthi relaunched was 6.35 while for Vijay’s Kavyanjali it was a mere 3.32, asserts Saravanan.
“KTV is way ahead of the No.3 in the TN market. We do not see Vijay TV in the third position bracket also with others,” Saravanan concludes as a parting shot.
Vijay TV was relaunched in October 2001 with the joint blessings of Star India and UTV. KTV is an exclusive Tamil blockbuster film channel, launched in the last quarter of 2001 to counter the formidable competition posed by the revamped Vijay.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
