GECs
Kumkum Bhagya and spinoff help Zee TV to second place in across genres
BENGALURU: Over the past few weeks, Zee TV or its network sibling Zee Anmol have been ranked second and/or third in Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) weekly lists for top 10 channels across genre (All India (U+R) : 2+ Individuals). In week 42 of 2017, it was Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPN) Hindi Movies channel Sony Max with the help of the rerun of Baahubali 2 that was placed second in BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres (across genres list). In week 43 of 2017 (Saturday, 21 October 2017 to Friday, 27 October 2017) – the week after India’s biggest festival season of Diwali, it is Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited’s (Zeel) flagship Hindi GEC Zee TV that has climbed back to second position in BARC’s across genres list. As in the past, the channel was once again supported by the Balaji Telefilms produced family drama soap Kumkum Bhagya and its spinoff Kundali Bhagya to attain the second place in the across genres list for week 43 of 2017. Both the soaps were amongst the top 5 Hindi GEC programmes HSM (U+R) during primetime (1800 – 2330 hrs) : 2+ Individuals The pole position of the across genres list belongs to the Sun Networks flagship Tamil GEC Sun TV (except during the annual Indian Premier League). Three channels from SPN, two channels each from or associated with Zeel, Star India and Network 18 and one channel from the Sun Network comprised the top 10 channels across genres for week 43 of 2017. From the genres perspective, seven Hindi GEC channels and one channel each from the Hindi Movies, Tamil GEC and Telugu GEC made up BARC’s weekly list of top 10 channels across genres for week 43 of 2017. Two flagship Hindi GEC channels of two networks – Colors and Star Plus returned to the top 10 channels list across genres after a short hiatus. As mentioned above Sun TV was at first rank in week 43 of 2017 with 1,059.914 million weekly impressions followed by Zee TV with 700.976 million weekly impressions. Zeel’s FTA Hindi GEC Zee Anmol was at third place with 681.964 million weekly impressions. Star India’s FTA Hindi GEC Star Bharat was at fourth place in week 43 of 2017 with 668.004 million weekly impressions. Network 18’s (Viacom 18) flagship Hindi GEC Colors was at fifth place with 617.659 million weekly impressions, followed by SPN’s women focused Hindi GEC Sony Pal with 594.487 million weekly impressions at sixth place. Sony Max was seventh in week 43 of 2017 with 584.651 million weekly impressions. The Network 18 associated Telugu GEC ETV Telugu was at eighth place with 536.339 million weekly impressions followed by Star India’s flagship Hindi GEC with 529.028 million weekly impressions at ninth place. SPN’s flagship Hindi GEC aided by the Amitabh Bahchan anchored Kaun Banega Crorepati was at tenth place in week 43 of 2017 with 519.420 million weekly impressions.
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.
