News Headline
Sony Sab continues as most watched pay TV Hindi GEC across genres
BENGALURU: Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) Sony Sab continued as the most watched pay TV Hindi GEC in week 11 of 2019 (Saturday, 14 March 2020 to Friday, 20 March 2020, week or period under review). The channel had replaced Viacom18’s flagship Hindi GEC Colors which until recently had been the most watched Hindi GEC for a few weeks in 2020.
Most watched pay channels across genres in week 11 of 2020
Five Hindi GECs and one channel each from the Hindi Movies, Kannada, Kids, Telugu and Tamil genres comprised BARC’s weekly list of the Top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres for week 11 of 2020. There were three channels from Sony Pictures Network India (SPN), two channels each from Star India, Viacom18 and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel) and one channel from the Sun Tv Network. Eight of the channels were GECs’, while there was one each from the Kids and Hindi Movies genres during the week under review.
The list of top 10 pay channels across genres for week 11 of 2020 was the same up to rank 4 as compared to the previous week. Star India’s flagship Tamil GEC Star Vijay exited the list in week 11 of 2020 and was replaced by Viacom18’s kids channel Nick.Colors climbed up a place to fifth rank, while Zeel’s flagship Hindi GEC dropped a place to sixth rank in week 11 of 2020 from fifth rank in the previous week. SPN’s Hindi Movies retained its 10 rank in the list in week 11 of 2020. SPN’s flagship GEC Sony Entertainment Television also dropped a place to eighth rank in week 11 of 2020 as compared to seventh rank in the previous week.
Refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Pay Channels Across Genres for weeks 10 and 11.
Most watched free channels across genres in week 11 of 2020
Enterr 10 Television’s Hindi GEC Dangal led BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels Across Genres in week 11 of 2020, as it had in the previous weeks. Dangal has generally been the most watched channel across genres ever since BARC recommenced publication of data in week 13 of 2019 after the implementation of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI’s New Tariff Order or NTO.
During the period under review, four channels from the Hindi Movies and three channels from the Bhojpuri from Hindi GEC,two channels from the Bhojpuri and one channel from the Hindi Music genre comprised BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels in week 11 of 2020. Four of the channels were from Zeel and there were three channels from Enterr 10 Television, two channels from B4U and one channel from the SkyStar Network.
Nine of the channels in BARC’s weekly list of Top 10 Free Channels in week 10 of 2020 were the same as in the previous week with changes in ranks. B4U’s Bhojpuri channel B4UBhojpuri exited the list in week 11 of 2020, while SkyStar’s Hindi Movies channel ABZY Movies reentered the list.
Please refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Free Channels Across Genres for weeks 10 and 11
Most watched channels on all platforms across genresin week 11 of 2020
Dangal continued its domination of BARC’s weekly lists of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres in week 11 of 2020 at rank 1 as it has in the recent past. The first five channels in BARC’s across genres on all platforms weekly list during week 11 were the same in rank and file as in week 10 of 2020. One channel reentered the list -Nick, while Star India’s Telugu GEC Star Vijay exited it.
Nine of the 10 channels in BARC’s weekly lists of Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres in week 10 of 2020 were GECs’. Seven of the channels were Hindi GECs’, while there was one channel each from the Kids,Tamil and Telugu genres in the list. From the networks’ perspective, there were three channels from SPN, two channels each from Star India, Viacom 18 and Zeel and one channel from the Sun Tv Network.
Refer to the figure below for ratings of the Top 10 Channels on All Platforms Across Genres for weeks 10 and 11

Awards
Hamdard honours changemakers at Abdul Hameed awards
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.







