News Broadcasting
UTV show climbs TVR charts in all TV homes
MUMBAI: The battle for the top among production houses has now spilled over from cable and satellite homes and into all TV homes.
The UTV produced Muslim social thriller – Meher on DD National has climbed into the top 20 in the TRP stakes The serial commenced airing on 3 January 2004 with an initial TVR of 7.0, coming in at number 18. In the second week of telecast, the serial again garnered a TVR of 7.2. According to UTV, the serial has scored a record average TVR of 8.4 in the second week.
Says the production house, this is the first time such a genre is being telecast on DD 1. Aired on Saturdays and Sundays at 8.30 pm, Meher has taken up a slot earlier filled by a news bulletin. This slot did not command TVRs over 3 or 4, claims UTV.
The Balaji Telefilms produced Kayamat is the other show that has been racing to the top of the charts on DD, commanding TVRs of around 10, coming in at the number two slot. Like in C&S households, where Balaji and UTV are pitched against each other for ratings, Doordarshan has become the next hunting ground for the two. The BR Chopra production Aap Beeti however, currently holds sway over all TV homes with a TVR that hovers around 12.6.
Meher, meanwhile, revolves around the main protagonist, Meher’s trials and tribulations – a story of a fiery progressive Muslim girl belonging to a small town as she finds herself pitted against a very conservative, corrupt and hypocritical social order. It is also about Meher who gets trapped into marriage with a con man and about the battle of wits that ensues.
UTV, that is back on DD after a long gap (Meerabai, Shehnai, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara were the last few offereings) says Meher has been conceived with high production values. Directed by Sachin Deo, it stars Payal Nair, Rajiv Paul, Negi C, Buddhaditya, Rajesh Jolly and Anjali Mukhi.
UTV says Meher is just the first of several shows lined up for Doordarshan.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
