A STUDY ON VIEWERS PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE

TOWARDS DIFFERENT NEWS CHANNELS IN KERALA, WITH

SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KAIRALI NEWS

A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the award of the Degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

of
MAHATMA GANDHI UNIVERSITY, KOTTAYAM, KERALA.

Submitted by

DENNY GEORGE

Reg No:
203240011011

Under the guidance of

Prof. SANESH VARGHESE

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

OCTOBER 2022
DC School of Management and Technology
Pullikkanam, Vagamon, Idukki 685503
Tel: 04869 – 248322, 248323
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project work entitled “A Study on Viewers Perception and Attitude towards

Different News Channels in Kerala, With Special Reference to Kairali News” submitted to Mahatma

Gandhi University is a record of the original work done by me and no part of it has been submitted

earlier for any Degree, Post-Graduation or similar of any other university or institution.

Place: PULLIKKANAM
Date: 01/09/2022 DENNY GEORGE
 D C School of Management
and Technology
One School Avenue
Pullikkanam PO, Vagamon,
Idukki - 685 503, Kerala, India
Phone:( 91-4869) 202110
Fax: (91-481) 2564758
Web: www.dcschool.net
E-mail: [email protected]

Date 9/06/2020

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report entitled “ A STUDY ON VIEWERS

PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS DIFFERENT NEWS CHANNELS IN

KERALA,WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KAIRALI NEWS ”, is a bonafide record of the

work done by Mr. AJAY ANTONY (180008) under my guidance in partial fulfillment of the

requirement for the award of Degree of Master of Business Administration of Mahatma Gandhi

University, Kottayam, Kerala and to endorse that this work has not been submitted by him/her for

the award of any other degree, diploma or title of recognition earlier.

Prof. B. Pramod Kumar (Faculty Guide)

This report has been accepted and forwarded to the University for evaluation based on the
recommendation of the Faculty Guide.

Principal

External Examiner 1 External Examiner 2

Signature Signature
Name Name
Date Date

Admissions Office: DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam 686 001. Kerala, India
Phone: 0481-2563226, 2301614, Mob: 9745607093/9846869231 e-mail: [email protected] Portal: www.dcsmat.ac.in,
Web:www.dcschool.net
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my sincere gratitude to the Almighty God, Parents and my Teachers for their blessings and
support.

I owe my deep sense of gratitude to Brig. M. C. Ashok Kumar, Group Director, DCSMAT group of
institutions, for having encouraged me to undertake this Project.

I humbly express my gratitude to Dr. Sreekanth S V, Principal, MBA, DCSMAT, Vagamon, for
providing me an opportunity and the adequate facilities whenever needed.

I extend my deep gratitude to Prof. Pramod Kumar .B, Associate Professor, Faculty Guide,
DCSMAT, Vagamon, for his valuable guidance, constructive criticisms, constant support and
encouragement during this study.

I express my gratitude to Prof. Baiju P Samuel, Batch Coordinator, and all other faculty members
of DCSMAT, Vagamon, for the facilities given to me for the successful completion of this Project.

At this occasion I wish to express my hearty gratitude to all my friends and others who helped me
one way or the other through the course of this research work.

AJAY ANTONY
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter No Title Page No
01 INTRODUCTION 1-5
1.1. Background of the Study 3
1.2. Statement of the problem 4
1.3. Relevance and scope of the study 4
1.4 Objectives of the study 5
02 INDUSTRY PROFILE 6-39
2.1 Business process of the industry 8
2.2 Market demand and supply-Contribution to GDP-Revenue
12
generation
2.3 Level and type of competition-Firms operating in the
19
industry
2.4 Pricing strategies in the industry 30
2.5 Prospects and challenges of the industry 32
2.6 Key drivers of the industry 37
03 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 40-52
3.1 Brief theoretical construct related to the problem 41
3.2 An overview of earlier studies 47
3.3 Uniqueness of the study 52
04 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY 53-61
4.1 Research approach and design 55
4.2 Sources of online data 56
4.3 Sampling design 57
4.4 Data analysis tools 58
4.5 Report structure 60
4.6 Limitations of the study 61
DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND
05 62-86
INFERENCE
06 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 87-92
6.1 Findings of the study 88
6.2 Suggestions 92
07 CONCLUSION 93
BIBLIOGRAPHY 95
ANNEXURES 97
 LIST OF TABLES
TABLE TITLE PAGE
NO. NO.
5.1 Gender Wise Classification 64
5.2 Age Wise Classification 65
5.3 Ranks Of News Channels Based On Viewers’ Preference 66
5.3.1 Preference And Ranking Of News Channels 67
5.3.2 Percent Position And Garret Value 68
5.3.3 Calculation Of Garret Value And Ranking 69
5.4 Time Spend To Watch TV News 70
5.5 Time Band Used By Viewers To Watch TV News 71
5.6 Viewers’ Attitude Toward TV News 72
5.7 Motive To Choose A News Channel 73
5.8 Whether News Channels Provide News That Are Important To Viewers 74
5.9 Whether Viewers Have Complete Trust In News Channels 75
5.10 Opinion About Viewership Of News Broadcasts 76
5.11 Relevance Of Advertisement In Between News 77
5.12 Whether Viewers Stick On To Same News Channel 78
5.13 Whether News Channels Are Honest 79
5.14 Whether Viewers Feel News Channels In Their Country Values Money 80
More Than Facts
5.15 Whether Viewers Feel That Anyone With Money Can Buy A News 81
Channel In Their Country And Run It In Their Favour
5.16 Whether Viewers Feel That News Channels Look At All Issues Only From 82
The Left Or Right Perspective
5.17 Whether Viewers Agree To The Statement “News Channels Are Trying To 83
Spread Fear Among The People”
5.18 Whether Viewers Think That News Channels Exaggerate Negative Events 84
5.19 Whether Viewers Feel That News Channels Twist Stories To Make Them 85
Sensational
5.20 Whether Viewers Think That News Channels Contribute Towards Overall 86
Development Of The Nation
 LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE TITLE PAGE
NO. NO.
5.1 Gender Wise Classification 64
5.2 Age Wise Classification 65
5.3 Ranks Of News Channels Based On Viewers’ Preference 66
5.3.1 Preference And Ranking Of News Channels 68
5.4 Time Spend To Watch TV News 70
5.5 Time Band Used By Viewers To Watch TV News 71
5.6 Viewers’ Attitude Toward TV News 72
5.7 Motive To Choose A News Channel 73
5.8 Whether News Channels Provide News That Are Important To Viewers 74
5.9 Whether Viewers Have Complete Trust In News Channels 75
5.10 Opinion About Viewership Of News Broadcasts 76
5.11 Relevance Of Advertisement In Between News 77
5.12 Whether Viewers Stick On To Same News Channel 78
5.13 Whether News Channels Are Honest 79
5.14 Whether Viewers Feel News Channels In Their Country Values Money 80
More Than Facts
5.15 Whether Viewers Feel That Anyone With Money Can Buy A News 81
Channel In Their Country And Run It In Their Favour
5.16 Whether Viewers Feel That News Channels Look At All Issues Only From 82
The Left Or Right Perspective
5.17 Whether Viewers Agree To The Statement “News Channels Are Trying To 83
Spread Fear Among The People”
5.18 Whether Viewers Think That News Channels Exaggerate Negative Events 84
5.19 Whether Viewers Feel That News Channels Twist Stories To Make Them 85
Sensational
5.20 Whether Viewers Think That News Channels Contribute Towards Overall 86
Development Of The Nation
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The role of media has become so all-pervasive that it has become an integral part of the fabric of
society and whether we acknowledge it or not, it plays a very influential role in shaping our thought
processes and attitudinal patterns. The television news channel industry has grown tremendously
today. It’s the only industry which does not have any strike or lock outs and practically no vacation.
Thus it has been very important to study the important parameters on which viewer’s perception
towards Malayalam news channel industry is based on.

The study titled as “A Study on the Viewers Perception and Attitude towards different news
channels in Kerala with special reference to Kairali News” helped to identify and understand the
preference of the viewers towards various news channels in Kerala. This study is designed and
focused primarily on identifying viewer’s perception towards news channels. It also includes
identification of competition between news channels and enhancing efforts towards development and
diversification in future. This study covers all aspects of a news channel from a viewers’ perspective
and studies their tastes and preference which is inevitable on any news channel to sustain in this
competitive environment.

This study is descriptive in nature and sampling was done by non-probability convenient sampling
method with a sample of 350 respondents. Primary data was accumulated for study which was
arranged to know viewers’ perception through particular request. The study included interviews with
regular viewers of various news channels and taking valuable inputs from them with questionnaire as
the tool. Secondary data was assembled by journals, books and websites. Percentage analysis is used
for the analysis of primary data collection. To find out the most preferred channel, Garrett’s ranking
technique was used. Interpretation of the data was done through tables, charts and graphs.

The study helped to identify and understand the preference of the viewers towards various news
channels in Kerala. The study also helped to find out the expectations of viewers about news and
news channels and helped in identifying strong as well as weak feature and attributes of the news
channels in Kerala. Motive of viewers to choose a news channel was identified with the help of this
study. The news viewing pattern and most preferred time for watching news and news based
programs among people in Kerala was also identified with the help of this study.

Viewer attraction strategy of news channels must be efficient, as its major source of revenue, as far
as a channel is considered.
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1
INTRODUCTION

Business environment today is turbulent as never before and the service industry as
promising as never before. In this era of intense competition where customer is the king,
success depends a lot on the efficiency of the managers in delivering what they have
promised and the responsibility lies on the organizations to develop such a culture where
business ethics are followed, value for the services is provided and quality services are
offered to achieve higher level of customer satisfaction. For achieving customer satisfaction
understanding dynamic consumer behavior is essential. As true believers in the marketing
concept marketer should try their best to meet needs of consumers. Service firms should
follow a proactive approach i.e. begin the service and satisfaction management process before
they even come in contact with customers and also be reactive i.e. look forward for customers
to complain, welcome them and tell them what to do Customer Perception is a marketing
concept that tells us what customers think about a brand or a company or its offerings. It can
be positive or negative feelings, perceptions, inhibitions, predispositions, expectations or
experiences that a customer has. Various factors that affect perception are Service pricing,
Service Quality, Brand value & Ethics, Brand history and reputation, availability and
usability of the customer service that supports it. Marketing concept that encompasses a
customer’s impression, awareness or consciousness about a company or its offerings.
Typically, customer perception is affected by advertising, reviews, public relations, social
media, personal experiences, and other channels.

Perception is very important in understanding the human behavior, because every person
perceives the world and approaches the life problems differently. If people behave on the
basis of their perception, we can predict their behavior in the changed circumstances by
understanding their present perception of the environment. According to Markin (1995),
perception is concerned with the way in which we select and recognize sensory data
presented by our environment. In other words perception may be defined as a complex
process by which people select, organized and interpret sensory stimuli into meaningful
picture of the world.

2
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The growing popularity of the television as a medium of communication has resulted in the
TV media sector undergoing a rapid transformation. The Indians had an eagerness to gather
the information’s for their development and these types of objectives make the news industry
still evergreen. The broadcasters offer good mixture of these things to the market for the
customers to make a selection. Television in India has been in existence for many decades.

The advent of numerous organizations in the television news industry has led to the
emergence of new trends, and it has completely altered the traditional methods of news
presentation, which is evidently visible in the style of presentation, the graphics used, updated
news content, introduction of newsroom discussions, and the like. This study covers all
aspects of a news channel from a viewers’ perspective and studies their tastes and preference
which is inevitable on any news channel to sustain in this competitive environment.

The study included interviews with regular viewers of various news channels and taking
valuable inputs from them with questionnaire as the tool. This questionnaire includes close-
ended questions, which are intended to obtain valuable inputs from the viewers about news
channels and to know their preferences based on various attributes. The questionnaire also
included a comparative study on the preference toward the various leading news channels
taking Kairali news channel into consideration. The study also included taking suggestions
from the viewers about improvements that can be introduced in news channels that can make
the presentation more appealing. Samples have been selected from various parts of Kerala,
and it included people belonging to different age groups, genders, and so on. The idea is to
make necessary changes according to the opinion of the viewers to cater to the updated trends
in the industry and thereby improve the overall quality and style of presentation.

3
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The project titled as “A Study on the Viewers Perception and Attitude towards different news
channels in Kerala with special reference to Kairali News” is conducted in concern with
Kairali News (Malayalam Communications Ltd) Trivandrum. The purpose of this study is to
investigate the viewer’s perception and attitude towards different news channels in Kerala.

This project work is an attempt to understand the marketing strategies adopted by various
news channels and study the viewer’s perception and attitudes towards the same. This study
is designed and focused primarily on identifying viewer’s perception towards channels. It
also includes identification of competition between news channels and enhancing efforts
towards development and diversification in future.

1.3 RELEVANCE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Keralites are reaching all parts of the world in search for their living, this wideness the geographic
scope of the satellite channels even to Europe, America, Middle East and Singapore. That is
the reason for successful growth of Malayalam broadcasting industries. Kerala is a state which
known for its high literacy rate and proliferation of education and the people of Kerala are having
a cultural attitude towards everything that comes under their consideration. This is the main factor
needed to consider a channel to run in a profitable manner. This particular industry is selected
for the study because it is a fast growing industry in the ICE (information, communication and
entertainment) sector. Same time there is a high competition in this field. Any small change or
improvement from the part of top management makes a lot of change in its growth and
sustainability. This research study can be utilized to attempt & inspire those perspectives that
are esteemed as critical supporters of viewers' fulfillment. Those angles can be utilized to
settle on choices concerning what might be utilized to improve viewers' fulfillment on
satisfaction of News channels.

The television news channel industry has grown tremendously today. It’s the only industry
which does not have any strike or lock outs and practically no vacation. Thus it has been very
important to study the important parameters on which viewer’s perception towards
Malayalam news channel industry is based on.
4
This study mainly focused on viewer’s perception and attitude towards various Malayalam
news channels like Kairali News, Twenty Four, Mathrubhumi News, News 18 Keralam, Asianet
News, Manorama News, Media One, Janam TV, Reporter, Jaihind, etc. During a short period of
time all these news channels emerged as the most preferred Malayalam channel and due to
continue development of information and communication technologies, there is a stiff competition
among them in mass media world. So it is necessary to select, test and implement viewer’s
perception and attitudes to analyze the consumer behavior towards the newschannels.

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

 To find out the viewer’s perception and attitudes towards different news channels in

Kerala.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

 To identify the news channel, majority of the viewers are interested in.

 To find out the motive of viewers to choose a news channel.

 To identify the news viewing pattern among people in Kerala.

 To identify most preferred time for watching news and news based programs

5
CHAPTER 2
INDUSTRY
PROFILE

6
INDUSTRY PROFILE

News is everywhere. One can access news through newspaper, radio, television or the
internet. In this changed scenario one would not be wrong in doubting the veracity of news-
source becomes an important variable in both the method of access and the credibility of the
news. With so many choices at hand, source credibility is the most important consideration
behind the believability of news. News channels rank among most viewed channel on Indian
television. Starting with Doordarshan in the 1990’s, television industry has witnessed
tremendous growth of several news channels. There are number of private news channels
which have joined the segment of news broadcasting and the situation today is such that news
has been devised in to an essential commodity.

In the initial days when Doordarshan monopolized news broadcasting, the Indian viewers had
very limited options and for watching the updated news they have to watch Doordarshan and
some international news channels like BBC or CNN. Now a day’s numerous news channels
are emerging as enhanced and more equipped in terms of their subject matter, presentation,
objectivity and high quality visuals. They serve to cover wide range of topics from local news
to international events, thus every significant incidents is covered by the huge variety of news
channels. The emerging media power houses provided prime television content to all leading
satellite channels in India including star TV, Sony, MTV, Zee and BBC World. In the rush to
provide more news Zee- News was launched in 1995.STAR – TV was the other round the
clock news channels which aired it’s exclusively round the clock news channel Zee News in
1995. India Today group launched 24 hr. Hindi news channel with the name Aaj Tak, in
December 2000.Within 11 months of its launch, Aaj Tak emerged as India’s emerging news
channel and was honored best news channel award from Indian television academy awards.
NDTV entered in to broadcasting business by simultaneously launching two 24 hr. news
channels, NDTV 24X7 (English news channel) and NDTV India (Hindi news
channel).Sahara India parivaar launched a 24 hr. Hindi news channel, Sahara Samay on 28th
March 2003, which is known to be 1st ever city centric satellite news channel covering 31
cities in India with their own city news bulletin. India has nearly 900 TV channels and half of
them are news-oriented.

7
Apart from the ones mentioned above, there are number of news channels today which
compete on the national stage to provide a constant stream of latest news to the people.
Among the most viewed news channels on Indian television today are CNN-IBN, Headlines
today, NDTV, CNBC TV18, Times Now India etc. Apart from national the news channels
there are also a large number of regional news channels which fulfills the information need of
regional public in their own language.

Indiavision was the first full-fledged news channel started in Malayalam. It started
functioning in 2003 August by M. K. Muneer and M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The channel closed
due to financial issues in April 2015. The major Malayalam news channels are Kairali News,
Twenty Four, Mathrubhumi News, News 18 Keralam, Asianet News, Manorama News, Media
One, Janam TV, Reporter, Jaihind, etc.

2.1 BUSINESS PROCESS OF THE INDUSTRY

A business process or business method is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks

that produce a specific service or product (serve a goal) for a particular consumer or
consumers. Business processes have always played a vital role in the proper functioning of an
organization.

In a News Channel, there are mainly:

 Reporting, Editorial & Production

Reporting department covers events that make the news. A news editor
makes decisions about the importance of breaking stories and
assigns reporters to cover the event. Reporters travel to the scene, gather
information and quotes from official sources such as police or fire crews or
witnesses, and put together a story. News Input Desk is basically the
backbone of the news channels. This basically entails getting all the
information such as breaking news, other incidents through a team in order to
broadcast on the news channel. The production department works closely
with the programming, news, engineering, and sales divisions. Its
sole responsibility is to produce the various programs, be they news

8
 packages, newscasts, programs, public-affairs programs, station promotional
spots, client commercials, or other productions that a station may require

 Engineering Section
This department handles the technical aspects of broadcasting and on-air
time. Under a chief engineer, otherwise known as director of broadcasting
operations, there are a host of managers, engineers and studio crew members,
including show directors, cameramen, audio board operators, teleprompter
operators, photographers, videographers, tape room editors and engineering
technicians. Master control supervisors oversee the master control room and
all switchboard operators. They monitor transmitter readings, align satellite
receiver equipment and make sure video airs in proper sequence.

 Distribution Section
Television news content distribution describes the service of delivering high-
quality video content (news) to the public via traditional and emerging
digital, pay or cable TV, satellite and subscription video-on-demand.

 Marketing Section
Television news channel marketing department is responsible for the active
promotion of content to their national audience across all the platforms. This
includes an array of activities such as publicity, on air, social media and
online promotion. Marketing, publicity and social media plays a vital role in
the promotion of content and helps to alert audiences to programming on
channel’s platforms. The Marketing department also helps promote the TV
channel brand.

 Broadcast Operation section

News broadcasting is the medium of broadcasting of various news events and
other information via television in the field of broadcast journalism. The
content is usually either produced locally in television studio newsroom, or
by a broadcast network. It may also include additional material such
as sports coverage weather forecasts, traffic reports, commentary, and other
material that the broadcaster feels is relevant to their audience.

9
 General Administration

The general administration department handles the day-to-day business of a

TV news station. Office managers or station managers work under the
general manager and oversee clerks, receptionists and other help staff.
Controllers, usually certified public accountants, are responsible overseeing
the station’s financial transactions, reports and budgets. They consult with
other department heads regarding cash flow and expenditures. The human
resources or personnel manager hires employees and ensures a safe
workplace in all departments. Business administration might also house
building maintenance workers who take care of the facility, from the studio
to the restrooms.

These are the main sections through which news channel work.

CREATION OF A NEWSCAST

A newscast is a group of news segments that have been edited together. A typical newscast is
22 minutes long to allow time for advertisements.

STEP 1: ASSIGNING OF ROLES

 The producer of the newscast will be responsible for ordering the newscast. They will
decide how the newscast flows from one news segment to another. They must be
organized and willing to take on the challenge of putting the newscast together.
 A newscast is typically written by one writer, or a team of writers.
 The anchor is responsible for introducing each news segment in the newscast. They
will act as the guide for the newscast. The anchor will be comfortable on camera and
have a friendly, confident demeanor.
 A typical newscast will have four to five news segments. Each news segment will
cover one new story. One reporter per story will be assigned. The reporters have to be
comfortable appearing on camera and be prepared to discuss the details of the news
story

10
STEP 2: WRITING THE NEWSCAST

 Most anchor introductions begin by greeting the audience. The introduction will then
briefly outline each news segment in the newscast.
 The news segments should be short and to the point. Each news segment provides the
key details of the event and tells the viewer what happened in brief terms. The news
segments are usually created by the writer, or writers.
 Most newscasts have several different news stories. A sports story, a current news
story, a weather update, and a human interest story all are included in the same
newscast. More than one of the same types of news story will be included if it is very
current or relevant.
 The writer of the news segments approaches the content like they are talking to a
friend. The tone will be friendly and conversational, with simple language that is easy
to follow.
 News segments is placed in a particular order, starting with the most engaging story
first. The producer will do this before the newscast is set to air, ordering the news
segments so they flow together nicely.
 The anchor will appear between each news segment and say a few words to transition
from segment to segment. It is made sure to include transitions in the script for the
newscast so the anchor knows what to say between stories.

STEP 3: PRESENTING THE NEWSCAST

 The anchor presents the news in clearly.

 All the reports are presented to the audience.

11
2.2 MARKET DEMAND AND SUPPLY

Even as most of the TV audiences are still in the process of selecting and finalizing their list
of channels, post the roll-out of new tariff order, by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI), regional news channels seems to have benefitted the most from the move.
While advertising revenue of regional news channels have increased in the range of 30%-
40%, subscription earnings have gone up by 25%, according to industry estimates.

Also, General Election and Political news, the Indian Premier League (IPL) etc. are some of
the factors which have helped news as a genre to rake in the revenue.
Additionally, the emergences of new markets have helped broadcasters to cash in. In addition
to viewers now opting and paying for their preferred channels, regional news category saw
the emergence of new markets. According to Ficci-EY report 2019, news channels occupy
13% share, amounting to Rs 3,640 crore, in overall advertising volume. Of the total news
genre, regional accounts to be 5% that is about Rs 182 crore. Total television ad pie was
expected to be at Rs 28,000 crore (exclusive of GST) market in terms of advertising revenue
in FY 2019. According to industry estimates, the cost of a 10 second commercial ranges
between Rs 3,500 - Rs 5,000 during non-prime time hours, across the top three regional news
channels. The cost of a 10 second ad spot increases to about Rs 10, 000 during prime-time
that is, between 7 pm to 11 pm, that too, for shows which feature popular anchors. During the
General Elections the cost of ten second ad rose to Rs 5,000 - Rs 7,000 during non-prime
hours and to Rs 12,000 during prime-time. Interestingly, national advertisers are taking more
interest in regional channels, thanks to rise in viewership, while local advertisers have upped
their spends.

CURRENT SITUATION – IMPACT OF COVID 19

As home-bound Indians sat glued to their TV sets craving for news and entertainment during
the lockdown, TV consumption spiked to touch highest ever numbers in the history of Indian
television, as per a joint report by TV viewership monitoring agency BARC India and
Nielsen. During March 21st-27th (week 12) the first week of the lockdown, India’s total TV
consumption grew by 37% to cross a record 1.21 trillion minutes. The data suggests that not

12
only were more Indians watching TV, but they were spending more hours watching television
and in the process flipping more channels too. Compared to January 11 to 31st (pre-Covid-
19), week 12 witnessed a spike of 11% in the average daily viewers on TV. The number shot
up by 62 million to 622 million viewers. Also, average time spent per viewer increased from
3 hours 46 minutes in January to a whopping 4 hours 39 minutes per day. Total number of
channels watched by per viewer has also gone up from 16 in January to 22 in week 12.
People are surfing more channels - mostly news and movies. Earlier, 33% of news viewers
used to watch only one news channel. The number has gone down to 18% now, while people
who used to surf top 6 news channels, has gone up from 6% to 17% now. This is a big
opportunity for the channels. The Hindi speaking markets recorded 41% increase, while in
South India, consumption grew by 31%.The data also suggested a clear shift in the
consumption pattern in terms of prime time (6 pm to 2 am) and non-prime time (6 am to 6
pm) viewing. While in prime time, the growth was just 8%, the growth in non-prime time
was 71%.

As the total number of Covid-19 cases continue to increase people have switched onto news
channels to get regular updates. As a result, news channels have posted a 298% jump in
viewership according to data released by television monitoring agency BARC (Broadcast
Audience Research Council). People staying home during the nationwide lockdown are
closely tracking news and current affairs to stay informed.

As a result, the share of news to total TV viewership grew to 21% from 7%. However, the
surge in viewership is yet to translate into advertising dollars. In fact, data from TAM Media
Research shows overall volume of advertising has dropped 11% in March, this year
compared to the same period last year. The reach of the news channels is 40%-50% higher
than general entertainment channels (GEC). With news providing a better return-on-
investment (RoI) based on higher delivery, advertisers have upped their investments.

Business news in itself has grown 180%. In comparison, the infotainment, movies and kids
genre has grown by 63%, 56% and 39% respectively. GECs have seen a 3% given that all
production activities have been stalled and networks are currently running on reruns of old
hits.
Further, it is clear that viewers chose to search for more news through multiple channels
during the period of lockdown. According to BARC, usually 30% of Hindi news viewers
watch only one channel, this dropped to 18%. The share of those viewing the top six channels

13
(Aaj Tak, India TV, Republic Bharat, Zee News, ABP News, News18 India) has gone up to
17% of the overall Hindi news audience segment, as compared to 8% during the Lok Sabha
elections and 7% during the Babri Masjid verdict.

In prime-time slots, the news genre has grown 252%, including 260% in the Hindi-speaking
markets and 232% in the south. In the non-prime time slots, it has grown by 344%, including
385% in the Hindi-speaking markets and 283% in the south.

According to the TAM AdEx data, between January-March 2020, news channels posted
nearly 15% drop in ad volumes as opposed to the same period last year. TV industry reported
a 6.4% growth in advertising revenue in 2019 to reach Rs 32,000, as per the latest Ficci-EY
report. Of this, news channels accounted for 9%-10% that is Rs 2,880 crore – Rs 3,2 00 crore
of the ad volume This year with a lack of marquee events, it is English news channels which
have recorded the highest drop in ad volumes at 17% during the January-March 2020, and
28% in March 2020. Next in line, Hindi news channels have posted a 6% decline, between
January-March 2020 and 16% drop in March.
According to industry estimates, the cost of a ten ad spot across the top three English news
channels during prime-time that is between 8 pm to 10 pm ranges between Rs 30,000 – Rs
35,000. The ad rate declines between Rs 20,000 – Rs 25,000 in case of leading Hindi news
channels. Compared to GECs — news channels command a lesser ad rate — hence the
volume of ads compensate for the lower price.

THE ECONOMICS OF NEWS MEDIA - DEEP CRISIS BECAUSE

OF COVID-19

Most media organizations depend on advertising. However, as a result of Covid-19 and its
impact on the Indian economy, businesses are unwilling to advertise their products. TV news
channels follow the same model, but the flaw is even more evident there. India has nearly 900
TV channels and half of them are news-oriented. Nearly all English TV news channels run in
losses. They are either subsidized by Hindi channels or they are not run for profits but for
some other reasons. News channels are very cheap, so they are even more dependent on ad
revenue than newspapers. A channel subscription is Rs 2 or 3 a month, whereas a single
newspaper costs more than that. Businesses advertising in news channels also advertise on

14
entertainment and sports channels. So very little of their marketing budget is left for news
channels. Then the distributors take a large share of the ad revenue. This leaves news
channels small and unprofitable and they are hit very hard when businesses cut their
advertising budget. Media organizations are minuscule as compared to companies in other
industries.

2.2.1 CONTRIBUTION TO THE GDP OF INDIA

The Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry is a sunrise sector for the economy and
is making high growth strides. Proving its resilience to the world, the Indian M&E industry is
on the cusp of a strong phase of growth, backed by rising consumer demand and improving
advertising revenues. The industry has been largely driven by increasing digitization and
higher internet usage over the last decade. Internet has almost become a mainstream media
for entertainment for most of the people.
The Indian advertising industry is projected to be the second fastest growing advertising
market in Asia after China. At present, advertising revenue accounts for around 0.38 per cent
of India’s gross domestic product. By 2021, Indian media and entertainment industry is
expected reach Rs 2.35 trillion.
The Indian entertainment and media (E&M) industry has out-performed the Indian economy
and is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. The E&M industry generally tends to grow
faster when the economy is expanding. The Indian economy has been growing at a fast clip
over the last few years, and the income levels too have been experiencing a high growth rate.
Above that, consumer spending is also on the rise, due to a sustained increase in disposable
incomes, brought about by reduction in personal income tax over the last decade. All these
factors have given an impetus to the E&M industry and are likely to contribute to the growth
of this industry in the future.
The Indian economy continues to perform strongly and one of the key sectors that benefits
from this fast economic growth is the E&M industry. This is because the E&M industry is a
cyclical industry that grows faster when the economy is expanding. It also grows faster than
the nominal GDP during all phases of economic activity due to its income elasticity wherein
when incomes rise, more resources get spent on leisure and entertainment and less on
necessities. Further, consumption spending itself is increasing due to rising disposable

15
incomes on account of sustained growth in income levels, and this also builds the case for a
strong bullish growth in the sector.

MARKET DYNAMICS
The Indian media and entertainment industry is expected to reach around Rs 307,000 core
crore (US$ 43.93 billion) by 2024. Media and entertainment Industry is set to expand at a
CAGR of 13.5 per cent over 2019-24. In FY19, major segments were television, print and
films with a market size of Rs 713 billion (US$ 10.22 billion), Rs 333 billion (US$ 4.76
billion) and Rs 185 billion (US$ 2.62 billion), respectively. They are projected to reach Rs
1025 billion (US$ 14.67 billion), Rs 375 billion (US$ 4.76 billion) and Rs 228 billion (US$
3.26 billion), respectively in FY22. Indian television market has an opportunity of catering to
100 million homes as 197 million homes out of the total 298 million have TV sets as of 2018.
Digital media & entertainment (M&E) platforms in India grew 13.3 per cent in FY19 to reach
Rs 163,100 crore (US$ 23.34 billion), contributing the most to the growth of M&E sector in
the country. India’s advertising revenue is projected to reach Rs 1,367 billion (US$ 19.56
billion) in FY24 from Rs 693 billion (US$ 10 billion) in FY19. India’s advertisement
spending increased to Rs 67,603 crore (US$ 9.67 billion), growing at 11 per cent in 2019.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is set to approach the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, with a request to Fastrack the
recommendations on broadcasting, in an attempt to boost reforms in the broadcasting sector.
The Government of India has agreed to set up the National Centre of Excellence for
Animation, Gaming, Visual Effects and Comics industry in Mumbai. The Indian and
Canadian Government have signed an audio visual co-production deal to enable producers
from both the countries exchange and explore their culture and creativity, respectively.
The Government of India has supported Media and Entertainment industry’s growth by
taking various initiatives such as digitizing the cable distribution sector to attract greater
institutional funding, increasing FDI limit from 74 per cent to 100 per cent in cable and DTH
satellite platforms, and granting industry status to the film industry for easy access to
institutional finance.

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ROAD AHEAD
The Indian Media and Entertainment industry is on an impressive growth path. The industry
is expected to grow at a much faster rate than the global average rate.
 The Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry is a sunrise sector for the
economy and is making high growth strides. Proving its resilience to the world, the
Indian M&E industry is on the cusp of a strong phase of growth, backed by rising
consumer demand and improving advertising revenues.
 The industry has been largely driven by increasing digitization and higher internet
usage over the last decade. Internet has almost become a mainstream media for
entertainment for most of the people.
 The Indian advertising industry is projected to be the second fastest growing
advertising market in Asia after China. At present, advertising revenue accounts for
around 0.4% of India’s gross domestic product.
 It also distinguished headwinds like the New Tariff Order (NTO) execution
vulnerabilities, and early indications of economic slowdown, which have pulled down
the overall development.
 With no major obliging factors, digital is relied upon to be a dominant force going
ahead and by FY23, it is probably going to be the second biggest section after TV and
pull in the most elevated advertising spend among all media positions. In 2019, as
digital behavior evolves, subscription models will have greater role in monetization of
digital platforms.

2.2.2 REVENUE GENERATION

News on Television is a product being created and sold by several players who are fighting
for their share of viewership and advertisement and trying hard for their survival in what
seems to be a really tough and saturated market.

Nalin Mehta in his book India on Television explains, “The economic logic of the television
industry means that viewers have the greatest value as consumers. The construction of the
Indian television industry and the business models of the news channels dictate that it cannot
be otherwise. To a large extent, revenue flows determine how content is produced, packaged
and put on the airwaves by news channels. This leads to a permanent tension between the

17
journalistic and commercial imperatives of media entities and affects the very nature of news
programming.” (Mehta, 2008)

ADVERTISEMENT: THE PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF INCOME FOR NEWS CHANNELS

Advertising is the most common of all revenue models in traditional media and online. TV
shows, newspapers, and websites offer their content (programming, news stories, etc.) at no
charge (or at a low price) in order to attract a large audience. Advertisers wanting to promote
the products they're selling pay the media outlets, which in turn place ads in between their
content for the audience to experience. News channels like various other media businesses
are supposed to make money both from selling airtime to broadcast advertisements and from
subscription of satellite signals. The unit for selling airtime for advertisement is called a
‘slot.’ Slots typically are of 15 or 30 seconds. Ad rates for a single channel vary according to
the time of the program and its popularity on the rating charts. A prime time slot is sold at a
higher rate than a non-prime time slot. Similarly, even if non-prime time program has better
visibility and ratings, it will fetch better rate.

Major types of advertisements on news channels are:

 Standard In-break ads

 Advertisement on Tickers
 Non Free Air Time Commercials
 Program Sponsorship
 Segment Sponsorship
 Advertiser Funded Programs
 Cross-Promotion

ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF REVENUE

 Strategic Placement of Products: While the regulator TRAI does want to fix up a
cap on the free air time commercials on television, there is no restriction on how any
channel uses the screen space along with the content. Some of the news channels have
been making use of the screen space in every possible way available to them. Be it in
form of logos, ticker space, segment sponsorship or property sponsorship. The latest

18
 attempt in this direction has been to place the product right at the center of the screen
so strategically that it does not look or sound like advertisement but at the same time
goes smoothly with the content or the presenter.
 Selling Content to Rivals and Other Interested Parties: In much developed
markets, news channels are known to have capitalized on the some exclusive videos
shot by their in house reporters and camerapersons. In such situations broadcasters
make money by selling the footage even to the rival channels or any other
organization which is ready to pay for them.
 Content Syndication and Internationalization: Achieving economies of scale to
reduce cost of production per unit of any product has been an age old strategy of
corporations. News channels have been launching their brands in foreign countries
targeting the Indian diaspora. The content is the same which is aired for Indian
audiences with no attempt of alteration to suit the preferences of NRI audiences, thus
it involves no additional costs in terms of content creation. Distribution in these
markets involves tying up various distribution platforms and finding a place in their
specialized bouquets. Since, these packages are paid for; Indian channels too earn
money through subscription revenues. Some broadcast companies are also diverting
their resources in overseas markets by catering to the news appetite of the local
audiences in other countries.
 Content Distribution through Convergence: Apart from these comparatively small
alternate sources of income, the biggest opportunity for capitalizing on their content
which news channels have today is through convergence which means distributing the
content through several available digital platforms like internet and mobile
technologies

2.3 LEVEL AND TYPE OF COMPETITION

Indian public service broadcaster Doordarshan had a virtual monopoly in the television
market for more than three decades between 1959 and 1990 due to the determination of
successive Indian governments to keep the airwaves out of commercial hands. However,
advances in satellite technology and its use for mass communication by commercial interests
finally reached the Indian subcontinent during the first Gulf war in 1991, when CNN and

19
BBC coverage of the war whet people's appetite for more television. As a result, since 1991
Doordarshan has had to cope with a lack of adequate funding and competition from
commercial networks, not unlike its counterparts in the Western world. By the mid-1990s,
new players in the television industry began to look for an edge over their competitors. News
seemed as if it would sell, attracting sufficient viewers to lure advertisers for some of the
fledgling nascent players. Doordarshan news coverage lacked credibility, so appeared to be
easy to defeat in the viewership numbers game.

Now a day’s numerous news channels are emerging as enhanced and more equipped in terms
of their subject matter, presentation, objectivity and high quality visuals. They serve to cover
wide range of topics from local news to international events, thus every significant incidents
is covered by the huge variety of news channels. The emerging media power houses provided
prime television content to all leading satellite channels in India including star TV, Sony,
MTV, Zee and BBC World. In the rush to provide more news Zee- News was launched in
1995.STAR – TV was the other round the clock news channels which aired it’s exclusively
round the clock news channel Zee News in 1995. India Today group launched 24 hr. Hindi
news channel with the name Aaj Tak, in December 2000.Within 11 months of its launch, Aaj
Tak emerged as India’s emerging news channel and was honored best news channel award
from Indian television academy awards. NDTV entered in to broadcasting business by
simultaneously launching two 24 hr. news channels, NDTV 24X7 (English news channel)
and NDTV India (Hindi news channel).Sahara India parivaar launched a 24 hr. Hindi news
channel, Sahara Samay on 28th March 2003, which is known to be 1st ever city centric
satellite news channel covering 31 cities in India with their own city news bulletin. India has
nearly 900 TV channels and half of them are news-oriented.

Apart from the ones mentioned above, there are number of news channels today which
compete on the national stage to provide a constant stream of latest news to the people.
Among the most viewed news channels on Indian television today are CNN-IBN, Headlines
today, NDTV, CNBC TV18, Times Now India etc. Apart from national the news channels
there are also a large number of regional news channels which fulfills the information need of
regional public in their own language. The major Malayalam news channels are Kairali
News, Twenty Four, Mathrubhumi News, News 18 Keralam, Asianet News, Manorama News,
Media One, Janam TV, Reporter, Jaihind, etc.

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PORTER’S FIVE FORCE ANALYSIS OF NEWS CHANNELS

Competitive Rivalry- High

The news industry has very few players; however, each has a significant market share of the
overall industry. The main news channels in India are AAJ Tak, Zee News, News 18 India,
India TV, ABP News, Republic Bharat, DD News, Times Now, India Today Television,
CNN News 18 etc. The major Malayalam news channels are Kairali News, Twenty Four,
Mathrubhumi News, News 18 Kerala, Asianet News, Manorama News, Media One, Janam TV,
Reporter, Jaihind, etc.

All competitors are continuously working on new competitive strategies, diversification, and
expansion of distribution capabilities. All the players in the industry are strong and they are
few in numbers with the industry growing at a slow pace makes the intensity of competitions
amongst the rivals high

Threat of New Entrants - Low

For the news industry, new entrants refer to new news channel is of TV or Radio, either
locally or internationally. The biggest entry barrier for this industry is the extraordinary setup
cost. Existing channels have a strong customer loyalty. Establishment cost and brand
awareness are the highest. There are strict rules and regulations in place by the different
governments for this industry. The license fee is also very high. This added with the huge
capital investment lead to a long payback period. This is another entry barrier. Therefore,
there are only very few companies that are able to enter and then maintain their position and
capture market share. Many new entrants simply merge with the existing players. Another
factor is the time it takes to earn trust and establish a customer loyalty, which is very
important in the news industry. Thus, overall threat of new entrants is low.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers - Medium

The bargaining power of the suppliers depends on the numbers and the volume of the
purchases made by the company. Suppliers in the news industry are both domestic and
international with each holding a certain level of power. As different nations have different
regulations regarding the publication of news international suppliers are in a better position to
bargain. The second aspect is the popularity, experience and demand of the listeners or
viewers. If the suppliers are big and they would hold sufficient bargaining power and if the

21
supplier is a local channel, student, residents etc. then their power is low. Thus overall
bargaining power of suppliers is medium.

Bargaining Power of Buyers- High

Due to the intense rivalry and availability of different sources, the buyers or the customers
have a wide array of choices. Even for paid channels there is competition to offer the
cheapest packages. The switching cost for buyers is also low. Many national and international
news channels are free. Therefore, a news channel cannot force its customers to keep on
watching it. The bargaining power of the customers or buyers is thus high.

Threat of Substitutes- High

The substitutes of the news industry are magazines, newspaper, the internet, social websites
etc. The same news that news channels offers is also available easily from the substitutes at
even more convenience and low cost. Also, the cost to switch to substitutes is low. The
biggest threats are social media websites, blogs and other websites available on the net where
users can post pictures, videos, blogs, and news i.e. literally anything free of cost and making
it available to the whole world. Therefore, the threat of substitute products is high for news
channels.

2.3.1 FIRMS OPERATING IN THE INDUSTRY

India is a country where the media plays a crucial role in shaping the thoughts of societies.
Olden days had newspapers and radio that had all the news, but now it is through the Internet
and television that the news comes under one roof and that is called media. The viewership
for all the news channels has been skyrocketing in the last few years. We have seen
many Popular News Channels in India, which has paved the way and has provided us with all
the latest news

Following are some of the most popular Indian news channels:

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1. AAJ Tak: Aaj Tak was launched on 31 December
2000, 19 Years Ago. Aaj Tak is a Hindi news TV
channel. It is owned by TV Today Network Limited.
Aaj Tak is one of the most watched Hindi news
channels in India. Aaj Tak has also been adjudged as
the best news channel by Limca Book of
Records. Aaj Tak means “Till Today” and was launched in the year 1998. The
headquarters is located in Noida, India.

2. Zee News: Zee News is a TV channel broadcasting India’s

news and current events founded in 1999. Initially, most of
the programs were broadcast in the English language.
Around 2003-04, after the success of Aaj Tak, Zee News
completely converted into a Hindi news channel. And it
currently comes in the top 3 news channels of India. It was
launched by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)
on 31 March 2007.

3. CNN News 18: News18, also known as CNN News

18, is an English language news channel located in
NOIDA, UP. It was earlier known as CNN-IBN but
later rebranded to News18. Its sister channel in
Hindi is called News18 India. It has a channel
called CNBC TV18 for business news in India. It is
currently owned by Network 18. CNN provides international coverage for the channel,
while Indian Broadcasting Network concentrates on Indian and local reports.

4. India Today Television : India Today is a 24-

hour English language television network based in
Noida, Uttar Pradesh that carries news, current affairs
and business programming in India. The channel is
owned by TV Today Network Ltd, which is a part of
Living Media. The news channel was launched in the year 2003. It covers all kinds of
news that is based both on the national and international news.

23
5. Republic TV: Republic Tv is new but is one of the most-
watched news channels in India today. Its sister Hindi
channel is called Republic Bharat. They also have a
YouTube channel where they upload their content in short
snippets. It is Co-owned by its Editor in chief, co-founder
and majority owner Arnab Ranjan Goswami who also
handles the channels Prime Time news. . It has its base in Mumbai and Bangalore. This
independent channel started on 7 May 2014.

6. DD News: DD News is one of the oldest channels

which broadcasted current news. This channel is still
considered to be one of the most authentic channels.
The actual name of the channel is Doordarshan News
but it is popularly known as DD News. It is a 24 hours
news broadcasting channel. The Prasar Bharati board
allowed DD news to showcase 24 hours news instead
of DD Metro.DD News mostly shows News in Hindi
and English and is popular among Indian viewers.

7. NDTV India: For over 30 years NDTV has been at the

forefront of Indian news Channels. NDTV India is
owned by Delhi Television limited and was the

brainchild of its Chairman, Prannoy Roy and his wife

Radhika Roy in 1988.NDTV India is one of the most
popular news channels in India in the genre of Hindi
news. It was launched in the year 2003. Headquarters are
located in Noida, India and have sister channels that include NDTV 24*7, NDTV Good
times. NDTV is one of the top news channels in India.

8. Times Now: Times Now is a 24-hour English

news channel based in Mumbai and
Telecasting in India, Singapore, and the United
States. It is owned by the Times Group, which

24
 also owns Zoom, ET Now and Movies Now. The channel launched on 23 January 2006 in
partnership with Reuters. It is counted as one of the best English news channel in India.
In terms of popularity as well this news channel continues to impress the audience in
many ways.

9. India TV: India TV is an Indian national Hindi news

channel based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. The
channel was launched on 20 May 2004 by Rajat
Sharma and wife Ritu Dhawan. The channel is a
subsidiary of the Independent News Service, which was
co-founded by Sharma and Dhawan in 1997. It is a
Hindi news channel which is based in Noida. The
motto of this channel is “Aap ki Avaaz“. It is recognized for its sensationalized way of
reporting.

10. ABP News: ABP News is an Indian news channel owned by

ABP Group. The channel was earlier known as Star News
which was owned by Star TV. It is marked as one of the
oldest new channels in India. It had been launched in
February 1998. From the year 2003, it had become a
complete Hindi news channel. It was the first bilingual i.e.
English — Hindi news service that had been broadcasted in
India.

MALAYALAM NEWS CHANNELS

Following are some of the most popular Malayalam news channels:

1. Kairali News: Kairali News is a Malayalam television news

channel based in Trivandrum. It was launched by Malayalam
Communications Limited. The channel focuses on news and
current issues. Kairali News was earlier known as People TV
which introduced on-camera sting operations to Malayalam

25
 television journalism on a limited basis. People TV, which was launched in August
2005, is a 24-hour news and current affairs channel, while Kairali TV has
international reach spanning from Australia to Europe and is available in the entire
GCC countries, including Kuwait. The channel is also available in the UAE and Qatar
through state-owned television networks like E-Vision and QCV, apart from
thousands of individual home dish antennae. The channel, headquartered at
Trivandrum, has studio facilities at Trivandrum as well as Kochi. Malayalam
Communications Limited is the holding company which is chaired by Malayalam film
actor Mammootty. John Brittas is the Managing Director.

2. Manorama News: Manorama News is a Malayalam news channel owned, operated

and managed by MM TV Ltd, the broadcast arm of Malayala Manorama - one of the
largest and earliest media houses in India. The channel was
launched on 17 August 2006, which coincided with
the Malayalam New Year. Manorama News is fully
equipped with a state of art studio in a well laid out green
premise at Aroor and two well-equipped regional studios -
one each at Trivandrum and Kozhikode .The channel was
launched with the assistance of media consulting company
Mediaguru Consultants Pvt. Ltd. The thirty-minute
simultaneous newscast of regional news, Nattuvartha, from
three regions of Kerala, viz. Travancore region, Malabar region and Kochi Region
was done for the first time in the country. Ever since its launch, Manorama News has
redefined news television in the regional space of Malayalam.

3. Asianet News: Asianet News (formerly Asianet Global) is a free-to-air Malayalam-

language news channel from Asianet News Network
(ANN). Asianet News Network operates as a subsidiary
of Jupiter Entertainment Ventures (Jupiter Capital
Ventures). The channel is based in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala. Asianet Global was launched in 2001 and
renamed as Asianet News in 2003. It is one of the oldest
television news channels in India with a strong team of
experienced journalists and an extensive network of news
bureaux. Equipped with the latest technology, Asianet News has been consistently

26
 been on top of TV rankings across all viewership strata. The multiple perspectives on
a news story and the honest insight of the seasoned journalist has enabled viewers to
form informed opinions and take informed decisions The innovative and varied nature
of programming content and formats have kept a diverse, but loyal, audience forever
engaged to Asianet News.

4. Mathrubhumi News: Mathrubhumi News, one of the well-established news

channels is a Thiruvananthapuram based Malayalam- television news channel owned
by Mathrubhumi Daily. The news channel was launched on 23 January 2013.
Mathrubhumi News, the first fully HD 24X 7
channels in Kerala, aims to professionally achieve
a paradigm shift in the visual packaging of news
and views. In addition to a world-class broadcast
facility, high quality equipments for amplifying
visual quality and content delivery, Mathrubhumi
now owns a business that is popular and profitable than many other regional news
channels. Mathrubhumi news channel has set benchmark standards and gathered
massive viewership for its expertise in regional news coverage and high-impact
content. Today, Mathrubhumi news channel is constantly referred for its engaging
content and technological variety.

5. Twenty Four News: Twenty Four News is a 24-hour Malayalam news channel
owned by Insight Media City. Launched
officially on 8 December 2018, the channel is
headquartered in Kochi. It has studios in
Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and has
bureaus around the globe. The channel is
promoted by Sreekandan Nair, a
prominent Malayalam television anchor. The
channel aims at covering all the aspects and
sides of a story, thereby providing a complete
picture of the happenings around the globe. Twenty Four News seldom sensationalize
news stories and acts as a mirror of the society.

27
6. News 18 Kerala: News 18 Kerala is a Malayalam language news television channel
headquartered in Trivandrum city owned by Network
18. The channel was launched in July 5 2016. The
launch in Kerala is part of recent expansion plan of
News 18 franchise in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam-
North East. NEWS18 serve robust and high quality
news from every corner of India and relevant global
news from CNN, the world's news leader, on the same platform with an aim to
provide the discerning viewers with a complete commitment to the needs and
aspirations of the Indian viewers.

7. Reporter TV: Reporter TV is a television news channel broadcasting in the

Malayalam language catering to the Malayalam speaking population in Kerala as well
as abroad. The channel also has a strong Digital presence.
The channel is owned by Indo Asian News Channel Pvt.
Limited. The channel was launched on 13 May
2011. Reporter TV is the first journalist driven 24x7
news channels in Malayalam. The TV channel brings the
latest news updates from around the world. The Reporter
Studio Complex HMT Colony (P O) is based in
Kalamassery Kochi, Kerala. During the time of launch
Reporter TV was the first HD news channel from South India. The international office
of the Reporter TV is at Dubai Media City. Reporter is the first HD technology news
channel in India with fully automated operations.

8. Media One TV: Media One TV is an Indian television channel broadcasting

in Malayalam, operated by Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited. The channel was
licensed in September 2011 and was officially launched
on 10 February 2013. The main studio is located at
Velliparamba, Kozhikode, Kerala. Media One TV is
widely accepted by keralites because of its alternative
media culture based on moral and human values. The
channel boasts of the highly advanced technology,
presents a unique treat in both visuals and content. It is one of the most popular
Malayalam channel among Kerala expats in the Middle East. Media One is the one

28
 international channel contracted with carrying UAE Labor department’s official news.
And it is also the only channel with special approvals from all the Governments in the
Gulf Council of Countries.

9. Jaihind TV: Jaihind TV was launched by Bharat

Broadcasting Network Ltd on August 17, 2007, based in
Trivandrum with the declared motto, ‘For the Family
For the Nation’. The channel is run by a group of
eminent personalities with Socio-Political and
Journalistic excellence. Presently the channel is being
viewed around 10 million viewers in India. The channel
has a strong footprint in the Middle East, South East
Asia, Europe and the USA also. In addition, we are trying to expand our reach across
the world through the various online platforms.

10. Janam TV: Janam TV is an Indian news channel broadcasting in

Malayalam language. It was officially launched on 19 April 2015. It has its registered
office at Thrissur and the main studios located at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
The channel stands for ‘Janam’, which means
PEOPLE, and is supported by a strong 5000
shareholders across the world. Janam TV, the
new age Malayalam news and entertainment
channel, which focuses on up keeping the core
Indian values, has certain unique
characteristics of its own. As a channel powered by the people, viewers form the
driving force behind Janam TV. It is this assurance that the channel brings forth to the
public.

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2.4 PRICING STRATEGIES IN THE INDUSTRY

Pricing is one of the four elements of the marketing mix, along with product, place and
promotion. An effective pricing strategy is vital for companies who wish to achieve success
by finding the price point where they can maximize sales and profits. Companies may use a
variety of pricing strategies, depending on their own unique marketing goals and objectives –
and also on which industry they represent.

Revenues are very important for every company as its survival depends on it. Advertising is
the most common of all revenue models in traditional media and online. TV shows,
newspapers, and websites offer their content (programming, news stories, etc.) at no charge
(or at a low price) in order to attract a large audience. Advertisers wanting to promote the
products they're selling pay the media outlets, which in turn place ads in between their
content for the audience to experience. News channels like various other media businesses
are supposed to make money both from selling airtime to broadcast advertisements and from
subscription of satellite signals. Advertising accounts for about two thirds of the total revenue
for a typical television news channel. While the quality of the programming affects the
ratings and thus the demand for television advertising, effective strategies for selling the
advertising time are an important determinant of the channel’s revenue. Determining such
strategies is particularly important because the news channel’s available advertising time is
limited either by competitive reasons or by government regulations. In the first stage of their
strategy, news channels make decisions about how much advertising time to sell in various
times. News channels makes available for sale of limited amounts of advertising time during
different categories of daily viewing times. Advertisers value these categories differently
because television audience size varies by the time of the day. In particular, evening time,
called prime time, traditionally attracts the most viewers, and as such is deemed more
valuable by the advertisers, while the rest of the viewing time is referred to as non-prime
time. A critical decision for the channel is how to price these products (that is, the advertising
time sold in the different time categories) at levels that maximize revenue. Optimally aligning
the prices with the advertiser’s willingness to pay ensures that the network neither leaves
“money on the table,” nor uses the advertising resource inefficiently. Moreover, ad hoc
pricing can lead to improper market segmentation: advertisers with a higher propensity to pay
may end up buying a less expensive product. Likewise, some potential advertisers may be
priced out of the market due to improper pricing, even though doing so may be unprofitable

30
for the network. The channels face yet another decision which is based on an evaluation of
the benefits of enhancing the programming quality. Improving quality requires effort (time
and money), but can lead to higher ratings. However, the impact of better quality on the
network’s profitability may be different depending on whether it relates to prime or to non-
prime time programming.

News channels has several options available (i) pure components strategy, that is, offer for
sale the different categories of advertising time as separate items only; (ii) pure bundling
strategy, that is, offer for sale advertising time from the different categories only as a
package; and (iii) mixed bundling strategy, that is, offer for sale both the bundle and the pure
components. Mixed bundling offers an opportunity to the broadcaster to more precisely
segment the market.

The market consists of advertisers interested in purchasing advertising time from the news
channels. Advertisers have a strict ordering of their preferences: They consider advertising
during non-prime time to be more desirable than not advertising, prime time advertising to be
more desirable than non-prime time advertising, and the bundle that combines both prime and
non-prime time advertising to be the most desirable. This preference is a consequence of
prime time ratings being higher than non-prime time ratings. Advertisers differ in their
willingness to pay for the three advertising products due to their varied ability to translate
eyeballs into purchase decisions of viewers and the consequent profits. Advertisers who are
more successful in generating higher profits have a greater willingness to pay for the more
desirable products—which are also more expensive. The unit for selling airtime for
advertisement is called a ‘slot.’ Slots typically are of 15 or 30 seconds. Ad rates for a single
channel vary according to the time of the program and its popularity on the rating charts. A
prime time slot is sold at a higher rate than a non-prime time slot. Similarly, even if non-
prime time program has better visibility and ratings, it will fetch better rate.

News channels also offers discounted rates on fiber and satellite services. Its sponsorship
deals and advertising brings good revenues. Paid news channels and millions of its viewers
are responsible for its upkeep by indirectly paying to cable operators to view this channel.

Some of the channels has maintained a Competitive pricing policy (Competitive pricing is
a pricing strategy in which the competitors' prices are taken into consideration when setting
the price of the same or similar products. The focus is on competition-driven prices rather

31
than production costs and overheads) and has fixed the rates based on prices of its
competitors .Increasing revenues year after year is the main reason which helps news
channels to attract several investors to its network. Sponsorships are an important part of
earning revenues and many channels has tie-ups with numerous companies and brands so that
a lucrative sum can be easily earned via these deals. Some news channels adopt Penetration
pricing policy (Penetration pricing is a pricing strategy where the price of a product is
initially set low to rapidly reach a wide fraction of the market and initiate word of mouth. The
strategy works on the expectation that customers will switch to the new brand because of the
lower price) and offered reasonable rates so that a perfect balance can be easily maintained in
terms of money between its network and pay-channel providers.

2.5 PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF THE INDUSTRY

PROSPECTS OF NEWS CHANNELS

1. The business model is evolving

Disruption is sweeping news industry, powering the invention and rapid expansion of new
business models and leading to uncertainty about the durability of well-established
ecosystems. Consumers are expecting news providers of all types to deliver choice,
convenience and value, all wrapped inside personalized, customized experiences that are
available on demand and on a cross-platform basis — and with limited advertising and strong
data protection.

2. News channels need to adapt to new realities

Intensifying competition for viewers and advertisers, combined with ongoing declines in
subscribers, is putting pressure on topline performance at many news channels. At the other
end of a margin squeeze, costs are escalating — especially in the critical areas of content and
talent.

Unsurprisingly, the mantra of cost cutting has reared its head again as a key priority for
management teams; however, the solution today is more holistic and nuanced than simple
brute-force reductions. What the news industry requires is a new level of operational

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excellence — the kind of strategic expense reduction that delivers short-term results and
long-term efficiencies.

3. New advertising currencies are on their way

As the lines blur between linear and digital media, advertisers are developing new currencies
to better understand and target consumers. Audiences are fragmenting across video platforms
— from live TV to time-shifted and connected TV (over-the-top video, streaming media
players, connected digital video recorders), and from desktop to mobile and immersive videos
(augmented reality, virtual reality and wearable).

With this fragmentation, advertising models are also evolving new forms, including
programmatic, native, vertical, 360 degree and addressable ads. Audience measurement —
the key piece in the puzzle and critical to understanding consumers — has become more
complex and continues to lag.

4. Both horizontal and vertical scale are key

The rise of global social, video, advertising and e-commerce giants — with their user bases
measuring in billions, tremendous financial resources, market-leading growth rates and
appetite for risk — is creating a new competitive reality. This “winner takes all” backdrop is
powering a strong sense of urgency across the news sector to respond strategically.

News leaders view inorganic action as the fastest way to gain heft, increase share, rationalize
the marketplace, quickly add new capabilities, reshape existing asset portfolios and future
proof their business models. The top rationales for news channels in the sector are
“enhancing product and service portfolios” and “gaining market share,” indicating strategic
imperatives of scale and scope.

5. The marketplace is accelerating

As new technologies accelerate how supply and demand intersects in all industries, the
dynamics of news marketplaces — for both consumers and advertisers — are becoming
“superfluid,” placing new pressures on all parts of the ecosystem to move more quickly.

The dynamics of programmatic transactions are now expanding to other aspects of the
business, which increasingly embrace data and automation. As digital dynamics are

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increasingly infused into all media (even traditional), the opportunities to accelerate super
fluidity will continue to grow.

6. Technology is reinventing the tax model

Tax reform represents the biggest change in taxation in more than 30 years. News companies
must respond to its wide-ranging implications. Yet tax reform is really an inflection point in
what has become a much wider conversation about the future of the tax function. In the year
ahead, companies and tax executives will need to explore how they engage with regulators
and how they manage reporting to take advantage of new technologies.

7. International operations are key

Globalization is critical to news channels looking to build scale, open new markets and
remain competitive. Although we see the rise of economic nationalism and the prospect of
higher trade barriers, at the same time, a suite of enabling digital technologies is rendering
borders less relevant. Today’s news channels must be more open than ever to the
opportunities of growing their international operations.

CHALLENGES OF NEWS CHANNELS

1. The Rise of Alternative Media Channels

With the digital revolution gaining momentum, viewers now want to cherry pick their
favorite news channels, which is why streaming services over the internet, are on an all-time
rise. There has been a shift in the viewing habits, posing a threat to the decade-old model
built around satellite and cable TV offering ‘bundled’ channels to consumers at a fixed price
that offered little choice to viewers.

Now, viewers can access and choose a subscription of individual channels or watch programs
streamed on YouTube and other free online channels. Newspapers, news networks, and cable
news channels are losing viewers and readers as an increasing number of alternative news
sources become available. The quality of these sources ranges from extremely poor to
excellent. Even the most unreliable and discredited sources of information attract viewers
who might otherwise get their news from a major network or newspaper, so authoritative
news outlets find themselves competing with conspiracy theorists and purveyors of so-called

34
“fake news.” With the rise of alternative media channels, news channels are facing a major
threat

2. Content and Network Security

Viewers now have the option to enjoy their favorite news programs on any smart devices
anytime they want. With the emergence of TV Everywhere, pay-tv operators are now
offering TV Everywhere to provide value add and retain their subscribers.

However, TV Everywhere has its risks for channels. As channels use new media platforms to
reach their millennial viewers, they are prone to security threats like hacking, malware, and
cyber-attacks. Often, viewers also compromise their security by sharing devices, accounts
and personal information to access the content, thereby giving easy access to hackers.
Moreover, with the easy availability of network infrastructures, programs are being
redistributed in real-time over the Internet illegally, resulting in loss of estimated billions of
euros across the TV industry worldwide.

To address this challenge, news channels need proper infrastructure, security policies, and
firewall protection to ensure hackers do not have access to the content. Moreover, old content
needs to be digitized, archived and stored with proper tagging to ensure long term usage.

3. Changing Viewer Behavior and Preferences

As new digital platforms evolve, there is a distinct shift in consumer behavior and
preferences. Users no longer consume what is being offered to them, but choose from a host
of options available to them anywhere, anytime across multiple channels.

Traditional content providers are fighting hard to ride the digital wave and secure their place
in the value chain by understanding customers’ interests and upselling the right products to
cater to their preferences. TV news channels are facing a significant threat due to changing
preference of the viewers and need to create and recycle content to cater to the changing
behavior.

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4. Content Protection and Piracy

In a world where news and videos go viral in minutes, content can travel across geographies
fast. Thanks to the Internet, viewers now have the power to generate the content they like,
share it with the world and gain instant popularity.

However, reliability and accuracy of such content remain a concern. TV channels might get
into legal hassles like copyright issues or defamation if the authenticity of user-generated
content is not verified. Similarly, illegal commercial distribution of content originally owned
and produced by broadcasters may lead to revenue loss.

5. Mismanaged Content

Mismanaged content is a major challenge that channels face today. While there is a lot of
new content generated both by the user and channels every minute, it might not be organized
for future usage. Much of the content is not tagged correctly and do not have metadata, which
makes it impossible for channels to compartmentalize for reuse, often leading to content
duplication.

With a huge amount of content already being created alongside legacy content, news
organizations need to organize and tag content to ensure easy search, access and distribution
of existing content.

6. Lack of Quality Content

With modern technology and changing of viewers’ preference, there is a huge demand for
content. However, to meet the growing need, quality of the content often takes a backseat.

To ensure quality, channels need to utilize the content in most effective ways. The television
industry is gearing up to meet the digitization challenge. As viewers are spoiled for choice,
the television ecology is becoming more democratic. News channels are propagating online
programs to catch the viewers’ attention and become accessible to new audience.

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2.6 KEY DRIVERS OF THE INDUSTRY

1. Digitization to help in spreading the reach and impact of M&E industry

Availability and penetration of newer distribution platforms like Digital Cable, DTH and
IPTV, digitization of newspapers etc. are some of the ways in which the News industry has
benefited from digitization and the growth is likely to continue in years to come.

The digitization of TV platforms has given way to better technology and picture and sound
quality for viewers, more transparent distribution of revenues for stakeholders in the value
chain and more band width becoming available to broadcasters giving them opportunity to
provide value added services. This will enable niche content being available in future.

Digital production in news has reduced processing and storage costs and digital distribution
and exhibition has led to enhanced picture quality, reduced costs, shortened release window
and a wider reach.

2. Regionalization to aid in inclusion of untapped markets

Contents are provided in regional languages across various sectors. Going forward, it is
expected that regionalization will be one of the significant factors driving growth with
growing increase in literacy, consumption and disposable incomes. Advertisers are also
increasing focus on rural markets due to saturation of urban markets. Demand for regional
content is emerging fast.

Ad spends on regional TV channels is increasing and national channels are looking at adding
regional channels to their portfolios.

3. Convergence and Impact of new media to benefit media players

News channels are looking at multiple delivery platforms for content to break through the
clutter in existing platforms.

4. Consolidation leading to emergence of players with superior capabilities

The News industry is increasingly becoming fragmented in nature due to entry of newer
players and newer customers and regions getting added. We have seen existing players
expanding horizons by coming out of their traditional businesses and establishing presence in
other domains.

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5. Competition expanding the operating market

The entry of newer players in the market has had a positive impact on the overall market as it
has helped in expanding the market size.

6. Talent development and management key to business success

The News industry relies heavily on its human capital for business success and
differentiation, as it is talent driven to a great extent. The industry has dealt with a lack of
supply of trained professionals in the sector for a long time. Investment in educational
institutions providing specialized courses for skilled technicians is a step in the right direction
to develop talent and meet the demand of the industry. The News industry relies heavily on
its human capital for business success and differentiation, as it is talent driven to a great
extent. The industry has dealt with a lack of supply of trained professionals in the sector for a
long time. Investment in educational institutions providing specialized courses for skilled
technicians is a step in the right direction to develop talent and meet the demand of the
industry.

7. Innovation across product, process, marketing, distribution and business model by

media players

Innovation is essential for players to adapt to the changing market scenario, technology and
consumer behavior.

8. The growing importance of pay markets in media business models

Traditionally advertising revenues have had a strong hold in the News industry, but now even
subscription revenues are becoming important with consumers paying for media services.
The media business models in India are undergoing a change with audiences becoming more
willing to pay for content and value added services. Technology has brought about
convenience and offered superior quality to consumers who have responded positively. The,
increasing number of Pay TV subscribers, increasing penetration of DTH with its user
friendly interface and technology, and introduction of VAS by media players are some
examples of pay markets gaining importance. Growth in this will be driven by research in
consumption trends and better understanding the set of audiences who are likely to pay more
for these value added services. This will ensure going beyond basic monetization of audience
through ad sales.

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9. Consumer research to ensure consumer-oriented media products and delivery

With increasing fragmentation of audiences and competition within and from outside media
sectors, it is becoming difficult for players in the News industry to rely purely on past
experience and creative expression. There is an increasing need for investments and focus on
research in concept testing, new product development and delivery platforms. Companies are
increasing spends on consumer research as the stakes have increased. Many players have a
separate team within the organization to concentrate on research as an ongoing process,
whereas others take help of outside research agencies for specific projects / concepts.

10. Focus on 360 degree connect with consumers

The players are looking beyond just the traditional mediums by reaching the consumers
across multiple platforms in order to establish a stronger connect. They are taking the help of
multiple touch points at the same time to communicate to the consumer across various
platforms.

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 CHAPTER 3
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

40
A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The
literature review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular
area of research. The review enumerates, describes, summarizes, objectively evaluates and
clarifies this previous research. It gives a theoretical base for the research and the author
determines the nature of research. The literature review acknowledges the work of previous
researchers, and in so doing, assures the reader that the work has been well conceived.

3.1BRIEF THEORETICAL CONSTRUCT RELATED TO THE

PROBLEM

Viewers are people who watch the Television or can be called as the admirer of the projects
communicate on TV generally called spectator. Viewers’ Perception and attitude is
individual’s sentiments of Perception and attitude on something. He might be subject to a
particular kind of show in perspective of his slants & taste, he sees only those activities which
are pulled in to or else he would be not charmed to continue watching the shows. Viewers'
Perception and attitude changes on each individual social event of individuals; it depends
without anyone else specific points of view with reference to his technique for direct
manufacturing his slant on something.

Affiliations need to hold existing viewers while focusing on non-viewers. Estimating

viewers’ satisfaction gives a sign of how effective the channel is at giving its help of its
viewers’ base. The more the viewers are fulfilled the more the viewership, a news channel
gets more TRP when the viewpoints to it get higher or the points of view is extended.

Viewers Perception and attitude depends upon the distinctive factors and the components are
various which moves and is negligible slippery out. The level of Perception and attitude
depends on upon various estimations fluctuating with that of time and individual slants;
mostly Viewers Perception and attitude significantly changes on each individual as each
individual slant have assorted conclusions, thinking route, lifestyle provoking the alteration in
their slants. Viewers Perception and attitude can be founded on channel introduction, mark
picture, unwavering quality, quality, certainties, data gave, exactness, straightforwardness,
wrangles about and so on. Viewer Perception and attitude is a misty and hypothetical idea
and the honest to goodness appearance related province of perception will change from

41
individual to individual and program to program. The province of Perception and attitude
relies upon various both mental & physical parts which relate with Perception sharpen.

The level of Perception and attitude can in like way move subordinate upon various
decisions, customer may have and particular undertakings against which, viewers can look at
news channels programs. Viewers Perception and attitude is a trying task to the news
channels. The news channels viewership shifts from that of other general redirection directs
in light of the way that the nature & substance of subjects thoroughly change from each other
& along these lines it is a trying, hard task to search for high viewership, it is another
viewership theory for the news channels.

PERCEPTION

Perception, broadly speaking, is a biological and cognitive function (Esperanza, 2001).

However, this definition is vague. A clearer definition could be that perception is concerned
with the process by which our five senses are organized and interpreted (Solomon & Rabolt,
2004). This definition is supported by other authors. Perception can be defined as the process
by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and
coherent picture of the world (Schiffman and Kanuk, 2000) People can form different
perceptions of the same stimulus because of 3 perceptual processes: selective attention,
selective distortion, and selective retention (Kotler, 2004). Perception is concerned with how
individual see and make sense of their environment (Fill, pp123).Perception also leads to
decision making and the decisions to act or not to act depends on how you develop
motivation (Kotler, 2003).

Theories of Perception

There are two types of theories to perception; there is the self-perception theory, and the
cognitive dissonance theory. There are many theories about different subjects in perception.
There are also disorders that relate to perception even though you may think perception is just
a person’s view point. Self-perception theory is counterintuitive. Psychologist Daryl Bem
originally developed this theory of attitude formation in the late 1960’s and early
1970’s.Common knowledge would have us assume that a person’s personality and attitudes
drive their actions; however, self-perception theory shows that this is not always the case. In
simple terms, it illustrates that “we are what we do.” According to self-perception theory, we
interpret our own actions the way we interpret others’ actions, and our actions are often

42
socially influenced and not produced out of our own free will, as we might expect. Festinger's
(1957) cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we have an inner drive to hold all our
attitudes and behavior in harmony and avoid disharmony (or dissonance). This is known as
the principle of cognitive consistency. When there is an inconsistency between attitudes or
behaviors (dissonance), something must change to eliminate the dissonance

James Gibson (1966) argues that perception is direct, and not subject to hypotheses testing.
Gibson’s bottom up theory suggests that perception involves innate mechanisms forged by
evolution and that no learning is required. This suggests that perception is necessary for
survival – without perception we would live in a very dangerous environment.

Psychologist Richard Gregory (1970) argued that perception is a constructive process which
relies on top-down processing. Stimulus information from our environment is frequently
ambiguous so to interpret it, we require higher cognitive information either from past
experiences or stored knowledge in order to makes inferences about what we perceive.
Helmholtz called it the ‘likelihood principle’

Components of Perception

There are three components of perception according to Alan Saks and Gary Johns (2011):
1. The Perceiver: This refers to a person whose awareness is focused on the stimulus, and
thus begins to perceive it. There are many factors that may influence the perceptions of the
perceiver. The three major factors include motivational state, emotional state, and experience.
All of these factors, especially motivation and emotion, greatly contribute to how the person
perceives a situation. Oftentimes, he or she may employ the so- called "perceptual defense",
which means that the person only perceives what he wants to perceive, even though the
stimulus acts on his or her senses.

2. The Target. This includes the object of perception. It is something or someone who is
being perceived. The amount of information gathered by the sensory organs of the perceiver
affects the interpretation and understanding about the target.

3. The Situation. The environmental factors, timing, and degree of stimulation also affect the
process of perception. These factors may render a single stimulus to be left as merely a
stimulus, not a percept that is subject for brain interpretation. However, ambiguous stimulus
may sometimes be transduced into one or more percepts. When this occurs, a process called
"multistable perception" occurs.

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Perception Process

ATTITUDE

According to Gordon Allport, “An attitude is a mental and neural state of readiness,
organized through experience, exerting a directive or dynamic influence upon the individual's
response to all objects and situations with which it is related.” Attitude is a tendency or
predisposition to evaluate an object, event or an idea in a certain way.

44
Components of Attitude (ABC Model)

Theories of Attitude

1. Cognitive Consistency Theories

The cognitive consistency theories are concerned with inconsistencies that arise between
related beliefs, bits of knowledge and evaluation about an object or an issue. Though various
consistency theories differ in several respects, all of them have a common object that is
reducing the inconsistency and returning the individual to the equilibrium state. There are
four important theories under this grouping:

(A) Balance Theory: F. Heider provided the basic model of balance theory. The theory is
basically concerned with the consistency in the judgment of people and/or issues that are
linked by some form of relationship.

(B) Congruity Theory: C.E. Os good and P.H. Tannenbaum have proposed the congruity
theory of attitudes which is similar to the balance theory. This theory focuses on the changes
in the evaluation of a source and a concept that are linked by an associative or dissociative
assertion. Congruity exists when a source and concept that are positively associated have
exactly the same evaluations and when a source and concept that are negatively associated
have exactly the opposite evaluations attached to them.

(C) Affective Cognitive Consistency Theory: M.I. Rosenberg has suggested the affective-
cognitive consistency theory which is concerned with the consistency between a person’s

45
overall attitude or effect towards an object or issue and his beliefs about its relationship to his
more general values. This theory is concerned mainly with what happens within the
individual when an attitude changes. It assumes that the relationship between the affective
and cognitive components of the attitude change when an attitude is altered.

(D) Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Leon Festinger, in the late 1950s proposed the theory of
cognitive dissonance. Dissonance means an inconsistency. Cognitive dissonance refers to any
incompatibility that an individual might perceive between two or more of his attitudes or
between his behaviour and attitudes. Festinger argued that any form of inconsistency is
uncomfortable and that individuals will attempt to reduce the dissonance and hence the
discomfort.

2. Functional Theory

The functional theory considers how attitudes and efforts are related to the motivational
structure of the individual. This theory focuses on two things:

(i) The meaning of the influence situation in terms of both the kinds of motives that it arouses
and

ii) The individual’s method of coping and achieving his goals.

The most prominent person who visualized functional theory is Katz and he suggested four
functions of attitudes. However, Katz functional theory has not stimulated much research
except for the work on changing ego defensive attitudes. Kelman has given another approach
about the functional approach of attitudes.

He has distinguished three processes of attitude formation and change: (i) Compliance (ii)
Identification and (iii) Internalization.

This theory is directed towards the types of social relationships that occur in social influence
situations. Compliance occurs when an attitude is formed or changed in order to gain a
favorable impression from other person or group. Identification occurs when a person forms
or changes his attitude because this adoption helps him establish or maintain a positive self-
defining relationship with the influencing agent. Internalization involves adopting an attitude
because it is congruent with one’s overall value systems. This approach makes an important
contribution towards an understanding of the conditions that influence the maintenance and
stability of attitude change.

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3. Social Judgment Theory

The social judgment theory was originally formulated by Sherif and Hoveland. This theory
attempts to explain how existing attitudes produce distortions of attitude related objects and
how these judgments mediate attitude change. Thus, a person’s initial attitude towards an
issue, serves as an anchor for the judgment of attitude related stimuli. The person’s initial
attitude on an issue provides a point of reference against which he evaluates other opinions.
These views can be considered in terms of attitudinal continuum and can be considered as
comprised of latitudes. The latitude of acceptance, which is the range of opinions the
individual finds acceptable, encompasses the opinion that best characterizes his own stand.
The attitude of rejection, which is the range of opinions the individual finds objectionable,
encompasses the opinion he finds most objectionable. The attitude of non-commitment is the
range of opinions that the person finds neither acceptable nor unacceptable.

3.2 AN OVERVIEW OF EARLIER STUDIES

1. Kara K.W. Chan (2015), an effective analysis of Chinese viewer’s impression of TV

promoting was supervised using example of 60 advertisements, which was seen by 160
people as per advertisements, who selected from a list from the aaker & bruzzone study,
which gave awesome changes in viewers observations, investigation was done over
advertisements & single person.

2. V. Carteer Broach Jr., Thomas J. Page Jr. &R. Dale Welson (2013), The authors
report the discoveries of impact of TV viewers of Ads, In particular, program excitement
& program loveliness were inspected as possibly vital determinants of viewers'
enthusiastic reactions to publicizing, as there was an estimation, the impact happened on
the highly enthusiastic conditions and complexity impact happened on low excitement
condition.

3. Steeven M. Edwaards, Haireong Li & Joo-Hyn Leo (2013), paper investigates

constrained watching of popup advertisement on internet ,see better how watches have
characterize advertisement, aggravating & choose to stay away from them, The outcomes

47
 give a understanding, of how the viewer’s encounter constrained presentation of
circumstances among interactive environment, & highlighting implications for publicists
seeking them build adequacy of online promoting.

4. Ahluwalia and Singh (2011) found in their study that on an average, children watch two
hours or less of TV daily and most of them indulged in bedtime TV Viewing. They
watched TV primarily for entertainment and for learning.

5. Brajendra Sharma (2011) in his study Perception of viewers towards news channels
in India identified the fact that the retired persons like to watch more and more news
channel. He also pointed out that, the business class like to watch news from 20 to
40/min. a day on the other hand professionals prefer to watch news in an unspecified
manner i.e. as and when they get time. Moreover he revealed that students focuses
their attention more on current affairs, business news, education related, cinema and
sports.

6. Rameshwaran. B (2010) A study on the viewer’s perception towards Malayalam

news channels, manage, Vol-5, issue-1-2, Revealed that among different regional news
channels Asianet news is the most preferred news channel. He also identified that,
viewers will become more satisfied if Asianet news channel commence al new live
phone in quiz show. Moreover he revealed that among the four news channels, Asianet
News, Manorama News, India vision and Kairali people, Asianet news brings the
earliest live news.

7. Cheryll Campaanella Bruccken (2010), Expanding no ,local news channels, are

creating & broadcasting the report on superior quality TV, (HDTV), however it has not
been an study of group of people, that the information has been topnotch, This analysis
helps give the results of source, impact of television frame, & impression of source
believably for reporters nearby, for their news, this has a positive impact on the onlookers
impression of source validity & the general believability of broadcast’s.

8. Spiro Kiousis (2009), This article investigate perceptions related news credibility for TV,
daily papers, & online news, a test survey made for the people, the unforeseen elements
that may impact believably observations, for instance, how media is used & discussed for

48
 interpersonal purposes, over here the respondents do rate the newspaper to be more
credible & then followed by online news & in the end television.

9. R. Spear Holbeert Ph.D.,Jeneifer L. Lamber Ph.D.,Anthony D. Dudo M.A.

&Kristan A. Caroltoon M.A. (2007), The study loos at the program which is requesting
impact of the CNN news in respect to the show which is done daily on the political
factors which is based on 2 sorts of data resources , however daily show power of the
political news related to national TV seeing among those members of lower inner
political self-viability.

10. Alicee Hall (2007), It depicts, gathering, meetings which is set up for young youth about
shows, meetings were taken in order to examine audience, on their understanding of
nature, authenticity & satisfactions of the class. Likewise they announced that they were
really amused & their unpredictability, which seemed to create anticipation & involving
themselves greater in it.
11. Shakuuntala Baaji &Ammar Al-Ghabbaan (2006), these papers gives reactions review
news channels amid & after 11 September to the Indian viewers in Bombay & British
Asian viewers in south - East Asia. They alleged that the global news channels have
secured the faults, proofs & revenge with respect to the twin tower & the pentagon
assaults; they expanded the collective tensions & fortified the prior enmities against
Muslim people of people around the world.

12. Erik P. Bucy (2003), this exploratory study of media validated the mixed or synergistic,
impacts of on-air online impacts of news exposure. Results say that the credibility are
used by the channel used, credibility was enhanced when the channel reliable with the
news source being analyzed. There is a cooperative energy impact between on – air &
online news.

13. Osei Appiah (2002), This study analyzed differences in how black & white viewers will
process messages with a view to race of TV characters speaking to 5 occupations, the
discoveries were made & in those discoveries it was believed that the black viewers had
the better review than the white people on TV, the outcomes were much unexpected.

49
14. Giacomo Corneo (2002) found out in his research that in OECD countries watching
television is by far the most time-consuming form of leisure. Surprisingly, television
viewing is positively correlated with work hours across countries. Workers and capitalists
are shown to exhibit opposite preference orderings over equilibrium. The relative ability
of those two groups in capturing a country's government may explain which equilibrium
is selected.

15. Verma and Larson (2002) in their study found that adolescents watch television for 12
hour per week on an average. The study further indicates that Television viewing is seen
as a major source of stress relieving activity. It was concluded in the study that 29% of
viewers watch television for purpose of learning/education.

16. Fatima (2000) suggests through research that TV has a long-term effect on people’s
thinking. Therefore, instead of glamorization, portrayal of crime and commercialization,
positive trends need to be introduced on the TV channels in order to save our values.
17. Craaig Leonaard Brains & Maartin P. Wattenburg (1996), effect media sources
which include broadcast political advertisements, TV news & daily papers, on position
knowledge & issue based assessments are investigated, from the historical search,
Utilization of negative publicizing is additionally connected with more noteworthy issue
learning & utilization of issues in assessments late in the crusade.

18. Unnikrishnan and Bajpai (1996) found in their study that about 48% upper class and
62% middle-class Indians watch Television for more than two hours per every day.

19. Stephen Ansolabehere and Shanto Iyengar (1994), Using a sensible exploratory plan, it
tests hypothesis of relative viability of battle publishing , our two investigations yield
bolster for the issue – possession theory, no possession theory , impacts amongst
promoting & news.

20. Sinichi Shimizu (1993) in her study found that MTV programs are changing the entire
music scene in Asia. Multinational rock music or world music is becoming the
mainstream popular music among the youth in Asia, while the traditional style is
becoming obscure and obsolete.

50
21. Kuo-Yi Wu (1990) studies the role and contribution of television in shaping of social
perception such as sex roles, crime and violence, inter-personal relationships and
ageing in Taiwan. In terms of perception of sex roles, contribution of television
viewing is distinctly contingent upon the background and other social conditions. A
more liberal stance is related to heavy viewers both Chinese or American programs
among females and those with high parental education. They generally prefer the
foreign programs to the indigenous programs. A consistent and significant relationship
is found between weekday viewing and a more mistrustful world view.

22. John Newhagen & Clifford Nass (1989), Shows that criteria individuals used to judge
TV news validity do not the same as those used to judge daily papers. Shows that one
wellspring of this distinction is that daily papers & TV are assessed from various levels of
study.

23. Lowery and DeFleur (1988) showed in their research that children tend to watch more
television than do adults prefer to watch adult programs, and usually watch as late into the
night as do adults. Despite their emergence from the more limited world of childhood and
their increased reliance on peers, adolescents continue to spend a great deal of their time
watching television.

24. Finn, Seth; Hick son. (1986), Researchers contemplating view of TV news have
concentrated on psychological review & learning.1 by differentiate; little consideration
has been paid to the cooperation between news programming & the spot advertisements
that consistently intrude on business TV news programs. The working suspicion has been
that grown-up viewers, not at all like children, 2 are completely fit for recognizing
business & program content. In any case, while there is no motivation to scrutinize this
suspicion at the intellectual level, there exists a vast group of experimentation that
backings the thought that at the full of feeling level a very exciting varying media show
can unwittingly modify gathering of people view of ensuing material.

25. Rayburn, J. D., (1984), infers that viewers at home look for & acquire more individual,
engaging, & humanistic components from "Great Morning America" than from "Today."

51
26. Valaskakis (1983) in his study examined television viewing tastes and habits among the
Indians of the Eastern and Central Arctic. The findings revealed that the amount of
different types of programming was significantly different among the Indians.
Accordingly, the underlying assumption is that, the males who are heavily engaged in
television's sports fare, would underestimate the mean world of television.

3.3 UNIQUENESS OF RESEARCH STUDY

The viewer is client of a media channel & he is the establishment of each business & keeps it
in proximity He is finishing some assistance by tuning into the channel. He isn't wards on us.
We are wards on him. A profitable affiliation understands that a satisfied client is the best
promoting master for their things. Points of interest are produced using the impression of
viewers.

This project work is an attempt to understand the marketing strategies adopted by various
news channels and study the viewer’s perception and attitudes towards the same. This study
is designed and focused primarily on identifying viewer’s perception towards channels. It
also includes identification of competition between news channels and enhancing efforts
towards development and diversification in future. This research study can be utilized to
attempt & inspire those perspectives that are esteemed as critical supporters of viewers'
fulfillment. Those angles can be utilized to settle on choices concerning what might be
utilized to improve viewers' fulfillment on satisfaction of News channels. Prerequisite for the
study is to accumulate perception of viewers for the news passed on by various channels
which will be further helpful in watching & managing their business. Viewer's perception
study is the main viewer’s acknowledgment & perception which is a best pointer of viewer’s
trustworthiness or desire to watch the channel. This study will help in understanding the
motivation behind differentiations among viewers & serves to perceive what they require in
association with news convey. This will help in perceiving the lead in Kerala who watch
Malayalam news channels.

52
 CHAPTER 4
METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

53
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research is defined as “a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on
specific topic”. Research is an art of scientific investigation. Research is a systemized effort
to gain new knowledge. It is a careful inquiry especially through search for new facts in any
branch of knowledge. The search for knowledge through objective and systematic method of
finding solutions through a problem is research.

Research methodology offers to the method of gathering data through intensive interviewing
and other methods. Knowledge from expert persons was also sought from the organization.
The data collected were analyzed with the parameters of evolution model to prepare the final
report. Research in common parlance refers to a search for knowledge. One can also define
research as a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. In
fact, Research is an art of scientific investigation. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of
Current English lays down the meaning of research as “a careful investigation or inquiry
especially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge.”

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be

understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. “Research
methodology is a method of studying problems whose solutions are to be desired partly or
wholly from facts. These facts may be statements of opinions, historical facts, those
contained in records and reports, the results of tests, answers to questionnaire, experimental
data of any sort, and so forth” (W.S Monroe).

Research methodology is the path through which researchers need to conduct their research.
It shows the path through which these researchers formulate their problem and objective and
present their result from the data obtained during the study period. This research design and
methodology chapter also shows how the research outcome at the end will be obtained in line
with meeting the objective of the study. This chapter hence discusses the research methods
that were used during the research process. It includes the research methodology of the study
from the research strategy to the result dissemination.

In this study primary data has been used as the source for conducting the research. Primary
data is data that is collected by a researcher from first-hand sources, using methods like
surveys, interviews, or experiments. It is collected with the research project in mind, directly
from primary sources. An advantage of using primary data is that researchers are collecting

54
information for the specific purposes of their study. In essence, the questions the researchers
ask are tailored to elicit the data that will help them with their study. Among the secondary
data, existing literature and data are also reviewed to conduct the study. Secondary data is the
data that has already been collected through primary sources and made readily available for
researchers to use for their own research. The research methodology using here is descriptive
research. The researcher collects the primary data and secondary data from various sources.
Sample sizes are decided and questionnaires are used for conducting research. The clarity in
research problem and sample size helped to make the research study perfect.

4.1 RESEARCH APPROACH AND DESIGN

RESEARCH APPROACH

Research approach comprises of plans and the procedure for the research that spans the steps
from broad assumptions to detailed methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation.
The overall decision involves which approach should be used to study a topic. Informing this
decision should be philosophical assumptions the researcher brings to the study; procedures
of inquiry (called Research Design); and specific research methods of data collection,
analysis and interpretation.

The two main types of research are qualitative research and quantitative research. Qualitative
research is descriptive in nature, because it generally deals with non-numerical and
unquantifiable things. Quantitative research is much more numbers-driven. The emphasis is
on the collection of numerical data. The conclusion then makes inferences based on that data.
In this study both qualitative and quantitative research approach is used as research is
based on both primary and secondary data.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Research design is defined as a framework of methods and techniques chosen by a researcher

to combine various components of research in a reasonably logical manner so that the
research problem is efficiently handled. It provides insights about “how” to conduct research
using a particular methodology. Every researcher has a list of research questions which need

55
to be assessed this can be done with research design. Among various research designs the
research design selected for the study is exploratory research design.

In this study descriptive research design is used. Descriptive research is defined as a research
method that describes the characteristics of the population or phenomenon that is being
studied. In other words, descriptive research primarily focuses on describing the nature of
a demographic segment. There are three main types of descriptive methods: observational
methods, case-study methods and survey methods.

4.2 SOURCES OF ONLINE DATA

After establishing the objective and determining the design of the research study, it is
necessary to collect accurate data. The online sources of data are such sources from which the
researcher will be able to collect information using internet.

 Primary sources - The primary data is collected by approaching the individuals with a
questionnaire and was filled after making them understand the use of the information.
This was done to make sure that the information provided is true and unbiased. Primary
data refers to the first-hand information that an investigator himself collects from the
respondents. It’s direct and original in nature. It refers to the data collected afresh for the
first time. For this study the data is collected from the customers with the help of
questionnaire with customers.
 Secondary sources - In this study secondary data is collected and among the secondary
data, literature reviews are collected for the purpose of the study. Through the review of
literature the researcher will be able to make a comparison between the existing studies
and the new study and it will lead to a theoretical conclusion of the study. The various
sources of online data used in this study are e-books, e-journals, e-magazines, online
thesis and articles and various websites.

56
4.3 SAMPLING DESIGN

A sample design is the framework, or road map, that serves as the basis for the selection of a
survey sample and affects many other important aspects of a survey as well. In a broad
context, survey researchers are interested in obtaining some type of information through a
survey for some population, or universe, of interest. One must define a sampling frame that
represents the population of interest, from which a sample is to be drawn. The sampling
frame may be identical to the population, or it may be only part of it and is therefore subject
to some under coverage, or it may have an indirect relationship to the population (e. g. the
population is preschool children and the frame is a listing of preschools). The sample design
is selected mainly for the studies or researches where primary data is being used. With the
help of sampling design survey can be conducted through questionnaires and research will be
done based on the available data from the respondents.

SAMPLE SIZE

The sample size of this study is 350. These 350 samples are from various districts of Kerala.

SAMPLING METHODS
There are two types of sampling methods:

 Probability sampling involves random selection, allowing you to make statistical

inferences about the whole group.
 Non-probability sampling involves non-random selection based on convenience or other
criteria, allowing you to easily collect initial data.

The sampling method used for the project is non-probability convenience sampling.
Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling technique where samples are selected
from the population only because they are conveniently available to the researcher.

57
4.4 DATA ANALYSIS TOOLS

Data analysis tools help researchers make sense of the data collected. It enables them to
report results and make interpretations. How the data is analyzed depends on the goals of the
project and the type of data collected. Some studies focus on qualitative data, others on
quantitative data, and many on both (mixed-methods studies)

The tools which are used for this study are questionnaires which include direct questions,
close end questions, multiple choice questions, and dichotomous questions. Percentage
analysis method is used and presentation tools like tables, graph, diagrams and software tools
are used. Garrett’s ranking technique was used to rank the preference indicated by the
respondents on different factors.

 QUESTIONNAIRE
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of
gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires can be an effective means of
measuring the behavior, attitudes, preferences, opinions and, intentions of relatively large
numbers of subjects more cheaply and quickly than other methods. An important distinction
is between open-ended and closed questions. Often a questionnaire uses both open and closed
questions to collect data. This is beneficial as it means both quantitative and qualitative data
can be obtained

1. Direct questions: Direct questions are just what their names indicate. They explicitly ask
for the desired data. However the directness of the question also relates to the way a response
is interpreted.

2. Close end questions: Such questions are also called fixed alternative questions they refer
to those questions in which the respondent is given a limited number of alternative response
frame which he/she is to select one that most closely matches his/her opinion or attitude.

3. Dichotomous questions: A dichotomous question refers to one which offers the

respondent a choice between only two alternatives and reduces the issue to its simple terms.
The fixed alternatives are of the type, yes/no, agree/disagree, true/false etc.

4. Multiple choice questions: A multiple choice question refers to one which provides
several set alternatives for its answers. Thus, it is a middle ground between free answers and
dichotomous question.

58
 PERCENTAGE ANALYSIS

Percentage analysis is used for the analysis of primary data collection. Percentage is special
kind of ratios that express the relationship of one variable in comparison to another
percentage analysis formula.

Percentage = (No. of respondents/Total respondents)*100

 PRESENTATION TOOLS USED FOR DATA PRESENTATION

1. Table: A table is a systematic arrangement of statistical data in rows and columns. Rows
are horizontal arrangements, whereas columns are vertical arrangements.

2. Graph & Diagram: One of the most of convincing an appealing way in which data may
be presented is through charts. A chart can be taking the shape of either diagram or graph.

3. Software Tools used for Project presentation: The software tools used for the study are
MS-Word, MS-Excel.

 HENRY GARRETT’S RANKING TECHNIQUE

To find out the most significant factor which influences the respondent, Garrett’s ranking
technique was used. As per this method, respondents have been asked to assign the rank for
all factors and the outcomes of such ranking have been converted into score value with the
help of the following formula:

Percent position = 100 (Rij – 0.5) / Nj

Where, Rij = Rank given for the ith variable by jth respondents and Nj = Number of variable
ranked by jth respondents.

With the help of Garrett’s Table, the percent position estimated is converted into scores. Then
for each factor, the scores of each individual are added and then total value of scores and
mean values of score is calculated. The factors having highest mean value is considered to be
the most important factor.

59
4.5 REPORT STRUCTURE

A report is a specific form of writing that is organized around concisely identifying and
examining issues, events, or findings that have happened in a physical sense, such as events
that have occurred within an organization, or findings from a research investigation.

These events can also pertain to events or issues identified within a body of literature. A
report informs the reader simply and objectively about all relevant issues. There are three
features that characterize report writing at a very basic level: a pre-defined structure,
independent sections, and reaching unbiased conclusions.

A key feature of reports is that they are formally structured in sections. The use of sections
makes it easy for the reader to jump straight to the information they need. Unlike an essay
which is written in a single narrative style from start to finish, each section of a report has its
own purpose and will need to be written in an appropriate style to suit – for example, the
methods and results sections are mainly descriptive, whereas the discussion section needs to
be analytical. Understanding the function of each section will help to structure your
information and use the correct writing style.

CHAPTERS OF THE REPORT

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 is the introduction of the study which includes the background of the study,
statement of the problem, relevance and scope of the study and objectives of the study.

CHAPTER 2 – INDUSTRY PROFILE

Chapter 2 includes the industry profile where in details of the industry like business process
of the industry, market demand and supply, contribution to GDP, revenue generation, level
and type of competition, firms operating in the industry, pricing strategies in the industry,
prospects and challenges of the industry and key drivers are included.

CHAPTER 3 – REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Chapter 3 is the literature review which includes a brief theoretical construct related to the
problem, an overview of the earlier studies and the uniqueness of the study.

60
CHAPTER 4 – METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

Chapter 4 is the methodology of the study where in research approach and design, sources of
online data, sampling design, data analysis tools, report structure and limitations of the study
are included.

CHAPTER 5 – DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND INFERENCES

Chapter 5 is statistically illustration of data’s collected. The analysis of the data and the
interpretations and inferences derived from the analysis are also quoted.

CHAPTER 6 – FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

Chapter 6 includes the findings of the candidate from this study. What the candidate has
observed from the study is included in this chapter.

CHAPTER 7 – CONCLUSION

Chapter 7 is the conclusion of the study where in the finals conclusion made as a solution to
the business problem is included. Chapter 7 is followed by the bibliography and annexures.

4.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

 The study was restricted to various television news channels in Kerala.

 The sample selected for the survey may not represent the exact universe or all of the

population.

 Accuracy of findings depends on the truth of data given by the respondent

 The study was not an extensive one. Hear the result of the project may be applied only at

the present.

 The availability of data was very difficult due to the COVID -19 situations prevailing,

which become another limitation of the study.

61
 CHAPTER 5
DATA ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION AND INFERENCE

62
INTRODUCTION

This chapter deals with the analysis of the responses given by the sample respondents. The
sample size of this study is 350. These 350 samples are from various districts of Kerala.

DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS

Descriptive statistics is used to describe the demographic characteristics of the study and
also evaluate questions related to variables taken for the study. Percentage analysis is used
to explain the profile of the demographic statistics and also analyze questions related to
variables of the study.

PERCENTAGES

Percentages refer to a special kind of ratio. Percentages are used in making comparison
between two or more series of data. Percentages are used to describe relationships; it is
expressed as:

Percentage = (Number of respondents / Total number of respondents) x 100

CHARTS

Charts are graphic displays of data for easy understanding of relative positions that is not
always possible with descriptive words or numbers. Types of charts commonly used in
business data presentation are: Bar and pie. In this study pie charts and bar graph are used.

A pie chart is a circular statistical graphic, which is divided into slices to illustrate numerical
proportion. In a pie chart, the arc length of each slice (and consequently its central angle and
area), is proportional to the quantity it represents.

A Bar Graph (also called Bar Chart) is a graphical display of data using bars of different
heights.

HENRY GARRETT’S RANKING TECHNIQUE

To find out the most significant factor (preferred news channel) which influences the
respondent, Garrett’s ranking technique was used.

63
 TABLE 5.1-GENDER WISE CLASSIFICATION

GENDER FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

MALE 235 67.14

FEMALE 115 32.86

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.1 - GENDER WISE CLASSIFICATION

32.86

67.14

MALEFEMALE

INTERPRETATION

From the above data, it is clear that 67.14 percent of the respondents being the majority
constitute male and the rest 32.86 percent constitute female.

64
 TABLE 5.2-AGE WISE CLASSIFICATION

AGE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

LESS THAN 20 9 2.57

20 – 40 184 52.57

40-60 152 43.43

ABOVE 60 5 1.43

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.2-AGE WISE CLASSIFICATION

1.43 2.57

43.43

52.57

LESS THAN 2020-4040-60ABOVE 60

INTERPRETATION

From the above data it is clear that 52.57 percent respondents for the survey are of 20-40 age
group that is young adults and middle ages which is the highest percentage of respondents,
43.43 percent are of 40-60 age groups , 2.57 percent respondents are below the age of 20 and
the remaining 1.43 percent are aged above 60.

65
TABLE 5.3 - RANKS OF NEWS CHANNELS BASED ON VIEWERS’ PREFERENCE

CHANNELS RANK

ASIANET NEWS 1

KAIRALI NEWS 7

MANORAMA NEWS 2

MATHRUBHUMI 3
NEWS
TWENTY FOUR 4

REPORTER 5

NEWS 18 KERALAM 8

MEDIA ONE 6

JAIHIND 9

JANAM TV 10

FIGURE 5.3 - RANKS OF NEWS CHANNELS BASED ON VIEWERS’

PREFERENCE [CALCULATED BY GARRETT’S RANKING TECHNIQUE]

70
68
66 68.34
64 67.78
66.75
62
60 65.59
58
63.14
56 62.52 62.55
62.25
61.01 60.95
PERCENTAGE

66
 INTERPRETATION

The above data shows the ranks given by respondents for different News Channels in Kerala.
The ranks have obtained with the help of Garret ranking method. Asianet News got the 1st
rank, followed by Manorama News, Mathrubhumi News, Twenty Four, Reporter, Media
One, Kairali News, News 18 Kerala, Jaihind And Janam TV who secured 2nd , 3rd, 4th, 5th,
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th ranks respectively.

CALCULATION OF RANKS USING HENRY GARRETT’S RANKING

TECHNIQUE

Table 5.3.1- Preference and Ranking of News Channels

RANKS GIVEN BY RESPONDENTS

CHANNELS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ASIANET NEWS 109 110 70 28 8 7 8 5 3 2

KAIRALI NEWS 39 83 130 43 16 12 10 4 7 6

MANORAMA NEWS 99 118 76 25 6 4 6 7 6 3

MATHRUBHUMI 75 128 80 32 9 4 10 9 1 2
NEWS
TWENTY FOUR 95 84 86 29 22 3 10 9 6 6

REPORTER 34 118 104 37 13 18 9 9 5 3

NEWS 18 39 98 110 40 10 12 20 10 7 4
KERALAM
MEDIA ONE 46 103 100 38 10 14 12 16 3 8

JAIHIND 48 76 115 40 12 5 16 9 22 7

JANAM TV 76 55 108 45 9 6 5 4 9 33

67
 Figure 5.3.1- Preference and Ranking of News Channels

Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3
Rank 4
Rank 5
Rank 6
Rank 7
Rank 8
Rank 9
Rank 10

Table 5.3.2- Percent Position and Garret Value

Sl. No. 100 ( Rij- 0.5) / Nj Calculated Value Garret Value

1 100 ( 1- 0.5) / 10 5 81
2 100 ( 2- 0.5) / 10 15 70
3 100 ( 3- 0.5) / 10 25 63
4 100 ( 4- 0.5) / 10 35 57
5 100 ( 5- 0.5) / 10 45 52
6 100 ( 6- 0.5) / 10 55 47
7 100 ( 7- 0.5) / 10 65 42
8 100 ( 8- 0.5) / 10 75 36
9 100 ( 9- 0.5) / 10 85 29
10 100 ( 10- 0.5) / 10 95 18

Percent position = 100 (Rij – 0.5) / Nj

Where, Rij = Rank given for the ith variable by jth respondents and Nj = Number of variable
ranked by jth respondents

68
 Table 5.3.3- Calculation of Garret Value and Ranking

RANKS GIVEN BY RESPONDENTS

CHANNELS TOTAL % R
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
N
K
ASIANET NEWS 8829 7700 4410 1596 416 329 336 180 87 36 23919 68. 1
34

KAIRALI NEWS 3159 5810 8190 2451 832 564 420 144 203 108 21881 62. 7
52

MANORAMA 8019 8260 4788 1425 312 188 252 252 174 54 23724 67. 2
NEWS 78

MATHRUBHUMI 6075 8960 5040 1824 468 188 420 324 29 36 23364 66. 3
NEWS 75

TWENTY FOUR 7695 5880 5418 1653 114 141 420 324 174 108 22957 65. 4
4 59

REPORTER 2754 8260 6552 2109 676 846 378 324 145 54 22098 63. 5
14

NEWS 18 3159 6860 6930 2280 520 564 840 360 203 72 21788 62. 8
KERALAM 25

MEDIA ONE 3726 7210 6300 2166 520 658 504 576 87 144 21891 62. 6
55

JAIHIND 3888 5320 7245 2280 624 235 672 324 638 126 21352 61. 9
01

JANAM TV 6156 3850 6804 2565 468 282 210 144 261 594 21334 60. 10
95

69
 TABLE 5.4-TIME SPEND TO WATCH TV NEWS

CHOICES OF TIME FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

LESS THAN 1 HOUR 129 36.86

BETWEEN 1-2 HOURS 158 45.14

BETWEEN 2-4 HOURS 51 14.57

BETWEEN 4-6 HOURS 9 2.57

ABOVE 6 HOURS 3 0.86

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.4-TIME SPEND TO WATCH TV NEWS

180 158
160
140 129
120
100
80
60 51
40
20
0 9 3

LESS THAN 1BETWEEN 1-2BETWEEN 2-4 HOURHOURHOUR

BETWEEN 4-6 HOURS
ABOVE 6 HOURS

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

Out of 350 respondents 158 respondents which constitute the majority watch TV news for 1-2
hour. 129 respondents watch TV news for less than 1 hour, 51 respondents watch TV news
for 2-4 hour, 9 respondents watch TV news for 4-6 hours and the remaining 3 respondent
watch TV above 6 hour.

70
 TABLE 5.5-TIME BAND USED BY VIEWERS TO WATCH TV NEWS

CHOICES OF TIME FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

BAND

MORNING 36 10.29

AFTERNOON 12 3.43

EVENING 161 46

PRIMETIME 93 26.57

ALL OF THE ABOVE 48 13.71

TIME BAND
TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.5-TIME BAND USED BY VIEWERS TO WATCH TV NEWS

180
161
160
140
120
100
80 93
60
40
20 48
0 36
12

MORNINGAFTERNOONEVENINGPRIMETIMEALL OF THE
ABOVE TIME
BAND
FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

Out of 350 respondents 161 respondents which constitute the majority are watching TV news
at evening. 93 are watching TV news at the prime-time, 36 are watching TV news at the
morning, 12 are watching TV news at afternoon and the remaining 48 watches TV news at
all the given time band.

71
 TABLE 5.6-VIEWERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARD TV NEWS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

WATCH TV NEWS 163 46.57

EVERYDAY
FOLLOW NEWS
CHANNELS ONLY 122 34.86
IN CASE OF ANY
IMPORTANT NEWS
WATCH NEWS ONLY IF 60 17.14
NEEDED
NOT INTERESTED TO 5 1.43
WATCH NEWS
CHANNELS
TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.6-VIEWERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARD TV NEWS

180 163
160
140
120 122
100
80
60
40
20 60
0

WATCH TV NEWS EVERTYDAY

FOLLOW NEWSWATCH NEWS ONLY IF NOT INTERESTED TO
CHANNELS ONLY IN CASE OF ANY IMPORTANT
NEEDED
NEWS WATCH NEWS CHANNELS
FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

Out of the 350 respondents, 163 respondents which constitute the majority watch TV news
every day. 122 follow news channels only in case of any important news, 60 watches news
only if needed and the remaining 5 are not interested to watch news channels.

72
 TABLE 5.7-MOTIVE TO CHOOSE A NEWS CHANNEL

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

ACCURACY OF THE 98 28
PRESENTATION
PRESENTATION STYLE 29 8.29

MORE NEWS COVERAGE 101 28.86

CLARITY OF 116 33.14

PRESENTATION
PERSONALITY OR 6 1.71
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.7-MOTIVE TO CHOOSE A NEWS CHANNEL

140
116
120
98 101
100
80
60
4029
20

6
0
ACCURACY OF THEPRESENTATION MORE NEWS CLARITY OF PERSONALITY OR
PRESENTATIONSTYLE COVERAGE PRESENTATION INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

Out of the 350 respondents, 116 choose a particular news channels because of the clarity of
their presentation.101 choose a news channel because of more news coverage, 98 because of
the accuracy of presentation, 29 because of the presentation style and the remaining 6 choose
a news channel because of personality or interpersonal skills.

73
 TABLE 5.8 - WHETHER NEWS CHANNELS PROVIDE NEWS THAT ARE
IMPORTANT TO VIEWERS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 308 88

NO 42 12

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.8 - WHETHER NEWS CHANNELS PROVIDE NEWS THAT ARE

IMPORTANT TO VIEWERS

12

88

YESNO
INTERPRETATION

From the above data it is observed that 88 percent of the respondents being the majority states
that news channels provide news that are important to them and according to the remaining
12 percent , news channels do not provide news that important are important to them.

74
 TABLE 5.9 - WHETHER VIEWERS HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN NEWS
CHANNELS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 72 20.57

NO 278 79.43

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.9 - WHETHER VIEWERS HAVE COMPLETE TRUST IN NEWS

CHANNELS

20.57

79.43

YESNO

INTERPRETATION

From the above data it is observed that 79.43 percent of the respondents being the majority
do not have complete trust in news channels and the remaining 20.57 percent of respondents
have complete trust in news channels.

75
 TABLE 5.10 - OPINION ABOUT VIEWERSHIP OF NEWS BROADCASTS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

WHOLE NEWS 83 23.71

BROADCAST
SPECIFIC SEGMENTS 267 76.29

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.10 - OPINION ABOUT VIEWERSHIP OF NEWS BROADCASTS

300
267

250

200

150

100 83

50

0
WHOLE NEWS BROADCAST SPECIFIC SEGMENTS
FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above data it is observed that, out of the total 350 respondents, 267 respondents
being the majority watches specific news segments and the remaining 83 watches whole
news broadcast.

76
 TABLE 5.11 - RELEVANCE OF ADVERTISEMENT IN BETWEEN NEWS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

HIGHLY NEEDED 5 1.43

NEEDED 141 40.29

NOT NEEDED 147 42

COMPLETELY 57 16.29
IRRELEVANT
TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.11 - RELEVANCE OF ADVERTISEMENT IN BETWEEN NEWS

160 147
140 141

120
100
80
60
40
20 57

5
0
HIGHLY NEEDED NEEDED NOT NEEDED COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

Out of the 350 respondents, 147 respondents which constitute the majority stick on to the
opinion that advertisements are not needed in between news. 141 say that advertisements are
needed in between news, 57 respondents have the opinion that advertisements are completely
irrelevant and the remaining 5 respondents stick on to the opinion that advertisements are
highly needed in between news.

77
 TABLE 5.12 - WHETHER VIEWERS STICK ON TO SAME NEWS CHANNEL

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 70 20

NO 280 80

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.12 - WHETHER VIEWERS STICK ON TO SAME NEWS CHANNEL

20

80

YESNO

INTERPRETATION

From the above data it is observed that, 80 percent of the respondents being the majority do
not stick on to same news channel and the remaining 20 percent stick on to same news
channel.

78
 TABLE 5.13 - WHETHER NEWS CHANNELS ARE HONEST

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 2 0.57

AGREE 66 18.86

NEUTRAL 203 58

DISAGREE 67 19.14

STRONGLY DISAGREE 12 3.43

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.13 - WHETHER NEWS CHANNELS ARE HONEST

250

203
200

150

100
66 67

50
12
2
0
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents 203 respondents
have a neutral opinion regarding the honesty of news channels. 67 disagree that news
channels are honest, 66 agree that news channels are honest, 12 strongly disagree that news
channels are honest and the remaining 2 only strongly agree that news channels are honest.

79
 TABLE 5.14 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL NEWS CHANNELS IN THEIR
COUNTRY VALUES MONEY MORE THAN FACTS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 46 13.14

AGREE 128 36.57

NEUTRAL 140 40

DISAGREE 33 9.43

STRONGLY DISAGREE 3 0.86

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.14 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL NEWS CHANNELS IN THEIR

COUNTRY VALUES MONEY MORE THAN FACTS

160
140
140 128
120
100
80
60
40
20 46
33
0
3

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents 140 respondents
have a neutral opinion regarding the statement that news channels in their country values
money more than facts. 128 agree to the statement, 46 strongly agrees the statement, 33
disagree to the statement and the remaining 3 strongly disagree that news channels in their
country values money more than facts.

80
TABLE 5.15 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL THAT ANYONE WITH MONEY CAN
BUY A NEWS CHANNEL IN THEIR COUNTRY AND RUN IT IN THEIR FAVOUR

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 62 17.71

AGREE 126 36

NEUTRAL 107 30.57

DISAGREE 50 14.29

STRONGLY DISAGREE 5 1.43

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.15 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL THAT ANYONE WITH MONEY CAN
BUY A NEWS CHANNEL IN THEIR COUNTRY AND RUN IT IN THEIR FAVOUR

140 126
120
100 107

80
60 62
50
40
20
0
5

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents 126 respondents
agrees and feels that anyone with money can buy a news channel in their country and run it in
their favor. 107 have a neutral opinion towards the statement, 62 strongly agree the statement,
50 disagree to the statement and the remaining 5 strongly disagree that anyone with money
can buy a news channel in their country and run it in their favor.

81
 TABLE 5.16 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL THAT NEWS CHANNELS LOOK AT
ALL ISSUES ONLY FROM THE LEFT OR RIGHT PERSPECTIVE

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 28 8

AGREE 121 34.57

NEUTRAL 154 44

DISAGREE 42 12

STRONGLY DISAGREE 5 1.43

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.16 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL THAT NEWS CHANNELS LOOK AT

ALL ISSUES ONLY FROM THE LEFT OR RIGHT PERSPECTIVE

180
160 154
140
120 121
100
80
60
40
20 42
0 28
5

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents, 154 respondents
have a neutral opinion regarding the statement that news channels look at all issues only from
the left or right perspective. 121 agree to the statement, 42 strongly agree the statement, 28
strongly agree to the statement and the remaining 5 strongly disagrees that news channels
look at all issues only from the left or right perspective.

82
 TABLE 5.17 - WHETHER VIEWERS AGREE TO THE STATEMENT “NEWS
CHANNELS ARE TRYING TO SPREAD FEAR AMONG THE PEOPLE”

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 26 7.43

AGREE 117 33.43

NEUTRAL 136 38.86

DISAGREE 64 18.29

STRONGLY DISAGREE 7 2

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.17 - WHETHER VIEWERS AGREE TO THE STATEMENT “NEWS

CHANNELS ARE TRYING TO SPREAD FEAR AMONG THE PEOPLE”

160
140 136
120 117
100
80
60
40 64
20
0
26
7

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents, 136 respondents
have a neutral opinion regarding the statement “news channels are trying to spread fear
among the people”. 117 agree to the statement, 64 disagree the statement, 26 strongly agree
to the statement and the remaining 7 strongly disagrees the statement “news channels are
trying to spread fear among the people”

83
 TABLE 5.18 - WHETHER VIEWERS THINK THAT NEWS CHANNELS
EXAGGERATE NEGATIVE EVENTS

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 65 18.57

AGREE 141 40.29

NEUTRAL 111 31.71

DISAGREE 31 8.86

STRONGLY DISAGREE 2 0.57

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.18 - WHETHER VIEWERS THINK THAT NEWS CHANNELS

EXAGGERATE NEGATIVE EVENTS

160
140 141
120
100 111

80 65
60
40
20 31
0
2

STRONGLY AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY

AGREE DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents 141 respondents
agrees and thinks that news channels exaggerate negative events. 111 have a neutral opinion
towards the statement, 65 strongly agree the statement, 31 disagree to the statement and the
remaining 2 strongly disagree that news channels exaggerate negative events.

84
 TABLE 5.19 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL THAT NEWS CHANNELS TWIST
STORIES TO MAKE THEM SENSATIONAL

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 82 23.43

AGREE 182 52

NEUTRAL 73 20.86

DISAGREE 11 3.14

STRONGLY DISAGREE 2 0.57

TOTAL 350 100

FIGURE 5.19 - WHETHER VIEWERS FEEL THAT NEWS CHANNELS TWIST

STORIES TO MAKE THEM SENSATIONAL

200 182
180
160
140
120
100
80
60 82 73
40
20
0
11
2

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents 182 respondents
agrees and feel that news channels twist stories to make them sensational. 82 strongly agree
to the statement, 73 have a neutral opinion towards the statement, 11 disagree to the
statement and the remaining 2 strongly disagree that news channels twist stories to make
them sensational.

85
 TABLE 5.20 - WHETHER VIEWERS THINK THAT NEWS CHANNELS
CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATION

CHOICES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

STRONGLY AGREE 21 6

AGREE 149 42.57

NEUTRAL 135 38.57

DISAGREE 38 10.86

STRONGLY DISAGREE 7 2

TOTAL 350 100

TABLE 5.20 - WHETHER VIEWERS THINK THAT NEWS CHANNELS

CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATION

160 149
140 135
120
100
80
60
40
20
0 38
21
7

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY DISAGREE

FREQUENCY

INTERPRETATION

From the above table and figure it is inferred that, out of 350 respondents 149 respondents
agrees and thinks that think that news channels contribute towards overall development of the
nation. 135 have a neutral opinion towards the statement, 38 disagree to the statement, 21
strongly agree the statement and the remaining 7 strongly disagree that news channels
contribute towards overall development of the nation.

86
 CHAPTER 6
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

87
6.1 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

 67.14 percent of the respondents constitute male and the rest 32.86 percent constitute
female.
Majority of the respondents are male.

 52.57 percent respondents for the survey are of 20-40 age groups that is young adults and
middle ages which is the highest percentage of respondents, 43.43 percent are of 40-60
age groups, 2.57 percent respondents are below the age of 20 and the remaining 1.43
percent is aged above 60.
Majority of the respondents are in age group of 20 – 40

 The ranks have obtained with the help of Garret ranking method. Asianet News got the
1st rank, followed by Manorama News, Mathrubhumi News, Twenty Four, Reporter,
Media One, Kairali News, News 18 Kerala, Jaihind And Janam TV who secured 2nd ,
3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th ranks respectively.
Based on respondent’s opinion Asianet News is the most preferred Malayalam channel
and Kairali is positioned in the seventh rank.

 Out of 350 respondents 158 respondents watch TV news for 1-2 hour. 129 respondents
watch TV news for less than 1 hour, 51 respondents watch TV news for 2-4 hour, 9
respondents watch TV news for 4-6 hours and the remaining 3 respondent watch TV
above 6 hour.
From this we can say that most of the viewers like to spend 1 to 2 hours for watching TV
news and very less people spend 6 or above 6 hour for watching TV news.

 Out of 350 respondents 161 respondents are watching TV news at evening. 93 are
watching TV news at the prime-time, 36 are watching TV news at the morning, 12 are
watching TV news at afternoon and the remaining 48 watches TV news at all the given
time band.
Based on the result we can finalize that most of the respondents are interested to watch
TV news at the evening and very less people like to watch TV news afternoon.

88
 Out of the 350 respondents, 163 respondents watch TV news every day. 122 follow news
channels only in case of any important news, 60 watches news only if needed and the
remaining 5 are not interested to watch news channels.
This data makes it clear that most of the viewers watch TV news every day.

 Out of the 350 respondents, 116 choose a particular news channels because of the clarity
of their presentation.101 choose a news channel because of more news coverage, 98
because of the accuracy of presentation, 29 because of the presentation style and the
remaining 6 choose a news channel because of personality or interpersonal skills.
Thus we can conclude that, majority of the viewers choose a news channel because of the
clarity of their presentation.

 It is observed that 88 percent of the respondents states that news channels provide news
that are important to them and according to the remaining 12 percent , news channels do
not provide news that important are important to them.
According to the opinion of majority of the respondents, news channels provide news that
is important to them and only a few disagree to it.

 It is observed that 79.43 percent of the respondents do not have complete trust in news
channels and the remaining 20.57 percent of respondents have complete trust in news
channels.
Majority of the respondents do not have complete trust in news channel.

 It is observed that, out of the total 350 respondents, 267 respondents watches specific
news segments and the remaining 83 watches whole news broadcast.
Based on the data we can conclude that majority of the respondents watches specific news
segments only rather than the whole news broadcast.

 Out of the 350 respondents, 147 respondents stick on to the opinion that advertisements
are not needed in between news. 141 say that advertisements are needed in between news,
57 respondents have the opinion that advertisements are completely irrelevant and the
remaining 5 respondents stick on to the opinion that advertisements are highly needed in
between news.

89
 Majority of the respondents do not want to have advertisements in between news and only
a few highly needs it.

 It is observed that, 80 percent of the respondents do not stick on to same news channel
and the remaining 20 percent stick on to same news channel.
Thus we can conclude that most of the respondents wish to watch different news channels
and a few only sticks on to same news channel.

 Out of 350 respondents 203 respondents have a neutral opinion regarding the honesty of
news channels. 67 disagree that news channels are honest, 66 agree that news channels
are honest, 12 strongly disagree that news channels are honest and the remaining 2 only
strongly agree that news channels are honest.
Majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree that news channels are honest and
only a very few strongly agrees that news channels are honest.

 Out of 350 respondents 140 respondents have a neutral opinion regarding the statement
that news channels in their country values money more than facts. 128 agree to the
statement, 46 strongly agrees the statement, 33 disagree to the statement and the
remaining 3 strongly disagree that news channels in their country values money more
than facts.
Majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree to the statement that news channels
in their country values money more than facts.

 Out of 350 respondents 126 respondents agrees and feels that anyone with money can buy
a news channel in their country and run it in their favor. 107 have a neutral opinion
towards the statement, 62 strongly agree the statement, 50 disagree to the statement and
the remaining 5 strongly disagree that anyone with money can buy a news channel in
their country and run it in their favor.
Majority of the respondents agrees that anyone with money can buy a news channel in
their country and run it in their favor and a very few strongly disagree to it.

90
 Out of 350 respondents, 154 respondents have a neutral opinion regarding the statement
that news channels look at all issues only from the left or right perspective. 121 agree to
the statement, 42 strongly agree the statement, 28 strongly agree to the statement and the
remaining 5 strongly disagrees that news channels look at all issues only from the left or
right perspective.
Majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree that news channels look at all
issues only from the left or right perspective but still another majority agrees that news
channels look at all issues only from the left or right perspective.

 Out of 350 respondents, 136 respondents have a neutral opinion regarding the statement
“news channels are trying to spread fear among the people”. 117 agree to the statement,
64 disagree the statement, 26 strongly agree to the statement and the remaining 7 strongly
disagrees the statement “news channels are trying to spread fear among the people”
Majority of the respondents neither agree nor disagree to the statement “news channels
are trying to spread fear among the people” but still another majority agrees to the
statement.

 Out of 350 respondents 141 respondents agrees and thinks that news channels exaggerate
negative events. 111 have a neutral opinion towards the statement, 65 strongly agree the
statement, 31 disagree to the statement and the remaining 2 strongly disagree that news
channels exaggerate negative events.
Most of the respondents think that news channels exaggerate negative events.

 Out of 350 respondents 182 respondents agrees and feel that news channels twist stories
to make them sensational. 82 strongly agree to the statement, 73 have a neutral opinion
towards the statement, 11 disagree to the statement and the remaining 2 strongly disagree
that news channels twist stories to make them sensational.
Majority of the respondents feels that news channels twist stories to make them
sensational.

 Out of 350 respondents 149 respondents agrees and thinks that think that news channels
contribute towards overall development of the nation. 135 have a neutral opinion towards
the statement, 38 disagree to the statement, 21 strongly agree the statement and the

91
 remaining 7 strongly disagree that news channels contribute towards overall development
of the nation.
Majority of the respondents believes that news channels contribute towards overall
development of the nation.

6.2 SUGGESTIONS
In relation to the study & analysis the following inputs can be given as suggestions:

 In a developing country like India news channels must focus on development of the
country. Development news should cover a wide range of activities like economic,
technological, social, cultural and ethical aspects of life.
 Carefully arrange the length of the break, number of advertisements in one break and
avoid repetition of ads in one interval.
 Precision of the news content is very important factor. Try to show the news that is
totally unbiased so that trust towards news channels may improve.
 News should be broadcasted more creatively & accurately in terms of delivering
information to the public & giving them a sense of information which they were not
aware of.
 Pleasing presentation styles and clarity of presentation will attract more viewers
towards news channels.
 News channels should provide accurate information rather than twisting stories and
exaggerating events to make them sensational so that they won’t spread fear among
people.
 Overall news should be given importance rather than only concentrating on left or
right perspectives

92
 CHAPTER 7
CONCLUSIONS

93
CONCLUSIONS
The paramount significance of media in today’s society can hardly be over-emphasized. The
role of media has become so all-pervasive that it has become an integral part of the fabric of
society and whether we acknowledge it or not, it plays a very influential role in shaping our
thought processes and attitudinal patterns. In the past several years of the media revolution,
the identity of news-based television channels has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts.

The study titled as “A Study on the Viewers Perception and Attitude towards different news
channels in Kerala with special reference to Kairali News” helped to identify and understand
the preference of the viewers towards various news channels in Kerala. The television news
channel industry has grown tremendously today. It’s the only industry which does not have
any strike or lock outs and practically no vacation. Thus it has been very important to study
the important parameters on which viewer’s perception towards Malayalam news channel
industry is based on. The study also helped to find out the expectations of viewers about news
and news channels and helped in identifying strong as well as weak feature and attributes of
the news channels in Kerala. Motive of viewers to choose a news channel was identified with
the help of this study. The news viewing pattern and most preferred time for watching news
and news based programs among people in Kerala was also identified with the help of this
study.

Viewer’s perception and attitude towards media channels, including news channels, plays a
crucial role for success and survival of any media communication firm in today’s competitive
market. Its viewer attraction strategy must be efficient, as its major source of revenue, as far
as a channel is considered. News channels should improve their existing strategies and they
should bring new strategies so as to attract new viewers and retain existing viewers.

94
BIBLIOGRAPHY

REFERENCES

 Philip Kotler , Kevin Lane Keller, “Marketing Management”, Pearson India Education
Services Pvt. Ltd, 15th Edition, 2016
 Sangeeta Sahney ,Consumer Behaviour ,Oxford University Press ,2017
 Rinporn Phanthong, Warunee Settanaranon , “Differences of Consumers’ Perception and
Attitude towards Marketing Communication through media”, 2011
 A.W. Rix, A. Bourett, M.P. Hollier, “Models Of Human Perception”.
 Kothari C.R, “Research Methodology”, New Age International(P) Ltd, J New Delhi,2nd
edition, 2007.

WEBSITES
 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16522354.2018.1445164
 https://www.exchange4media.com/media-tv-news/regionalrural-and-fta-now-key-growth-
drivers-for-tv-consumptionkpmg-report-91956.html
 https://www.tech-faq.com/how-television-broadcasting-works.html
 https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/tv-industry-where-supply-outstrips-
demand-117122001360_1.html
 https://www.financialexpress.com/brandwagon/coronavirus-impact-high-on-viewership-
news-channels-see-a-decline-in-ad-volumes/1922430/
 https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/story-of-indian-media-what-is-the-
economic-value-of-television-business-118031301219_1.html
 http://www.oecd.org/competition/competition-television-broadcasting.htm
 https://marketrealist.com/2015/03/media-networks-make-money/
 http://filmmakersfans.com/how-tv-channel-earn-money/
 https://www.journalism.org/2014/03/26/revenue-sources-a-heavy-dependence-on-
advertising/
 https://understandmedia.com/topics/media-theory/120-media-revenue-models
 https://www.porteranalysis.com/porters-five-forces-analysis-of-bbc/
 https://www.ibef.org/industry/media-entertainment-india.aspx
 https://www.mbaskool.com/marketing-mix/services/16991-bbc.html

95
 https://www.ey.com/en_gl/tmt/ten-opportunities-and-threats-for-media-and-
entertainment-compan
 https://www.marketing91.com/marketing-mix-ndtv/
 https://businessofcinema.com/bollywood-news/10-key-drivers-for-media-entertainment-
industry-growth-ficcikpmg/30675
 https://smallbusiness.chron.com/stages-perception-marketing-22161.html
 https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/organization/attitude/top-3-theories-of-attitude-with-
diagram/63835
 https://www.scribd.com/doc/141092918/Garrett-Ranking

96
 ANNEXURE

A STUDY ON THE VIEWERS PERCEPTION AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS

DIFFERENT NEWS CHANNELS IN KERALA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
KAIRALI NEWS

1. Name:

2. Age

a) Less than 20
b) 20-40
c) 40-60
d) Above 60

3. Gender

a) Male
b) Female

4. Please rank the following channels based on your preference

a) Asianet News
b) Kairali News
c) Manorama News
d) Mathrubhumi News
e) Twenty-Four
f) Reporter
g) News 18 Keralam
h) Media One
i) Jaihind
j) Janam TV

97
5. How many hours a day do you watch TV news?

a) Less than 1 hour

b) Between 1-2 hour
c) Between 2-4 hour
d) Between 4-6 hour
e) Above 6 hours

6. Which of the following describes you?

a) I watch TV news everyday

b) I follow news channels only if any important news is there
c) I only watch if I needed
d) I am not interested to watch news channels

7. Which among the following satisfy most when you choose news?

a) Accuracy of the presentation

b) Presentation style
c) More news coverage
d) Clarity of presentation
e) Personality or interpersonal skills

8. Do news channels provide the news which is important to you?

a) Yes
b) No

9. When do you think most people would turn into television News?

a) Morning
b) Afternoon
c) Evening
d) Primetime
e) All of the above

98
10. Do you have complete trust in TV news channels?

a) Yes
b) No

11. Do you watch the whole news broadcast or specific segments?

a) Whole News Broadcast

b) Specific segments

12. What do you think about the advertisements in between news?

a) Highly Needed
b) Needed
c) Not needed
d) Completely irrelevant

13. Are you a person who sticks on to same news channel?

a) Yes
b) No

14. Do you think that news channels are honest?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

15. Do you feel news channels in your country values money more than facts?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

99
16. Do you feel that anyone with money can buy a news channel in your country and run it to
favor them?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

17. Do you feel that the news channels look at All issues only from the left or right
perspective?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

18. Do you agree to the statement "News channels are trying to spread fear among the
people?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

19. Do you think that the news channels exaggerate negative events?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

100
20. Do you feel that news channels twist stories to make them sensational?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

21. Do you think this news channels contribute towards overall development of the nation?

a) Strongly Agree
b) Agree
c) Neutral
d) Disagree
e) Strongly Disagree

101