GECs
Chrome Study: Colors, Amitabh most liked GEC channel, anchor among working individuals
BENGALURU: Colors is the most liked Hindi GEC channel among working individuals and KBC’s Amitabh Bachchan is the most liked anchor, according to a survey by Chrome Data & Analytics (Chrome) covering 1,957 working individuals in the HSM market.
The most preferred genre – in order of preference – 92 percent were hooked to GECs; 56 percent preferred movies; 52 percent were addicted to music; 44 percent followed news; 19 percent liked infotainment; 17 percent preferred sports; 12 percent preferred the kids’ genre and 5 percent preferred the lifestyle genre.
In terms of channels – in order of preference – 70 percent preferred Colors; 55 percent Sony Entertainment Television (SET); 53 percent preferred Star Plus; 41 percent preferred &TV; 37 percent preferred Zee TV and 31 percent preferred SAB TV.
In terms of favourite channel – for 38 percent Colors was a favourite channel while Star Plus was a favourite channel for 21 percent; 20 percent found Sony TV as their favourite channel; Zee TV was a favourite for 10 percent; &TV was a favourite channel for 7 percent and 4 percent of the respondents found SAB TV to be their favourite channel.
The Chrome study respondent universe was 22 percent in the age group of 15 to 20 years; 44 percent in the age group of 21 to 30 years; 27 percent in the age group of 31 to 50 and 7 percent that were 51 years old or more. 58 percent of the respondents were male and 42 percent were female.
Please refer to the six charts below for the favourite programmes and characters on favourite channels
Writers note: Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly data for top 10 channels that is freely accessible in the public domain indicates that it is Zee TV and its sibling and free to air channel Zee Anmol that have been topping ratings in the Hindi GEC markets over the past few weeks. Correspondingly, Kumkum Bhagya and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya generally and consistently are amongst the top 5 GEC programmes in BARC’s weekly lists. In the case of reality television there is limited amount of BARC data available in the public domain. It may be noted that BARC data covers the entire HSM urban and rural market, while Chrome data is limited to working individuals in the HSM market.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
