Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 13, 2020)

The ongoing lockdown has redefined our lives in many ways. It has revamped our TV viewing patterns, too. Over the past few weeks, the concept of ‘prime time’ has undergone a drastic change on Indian television. While prime time (a slot that sees maximum viewership) for GECs used to be from 7 pm to 11 pm in the pre-Coronavirus days, it has taken on a new meaning now. Since almost everyone is home-bound, the small screen enjoys good viewership throughout the day, which means anytime is prime time.

‘SURGE IN VIEWERSHIP IN DIFFERENT TIME BANDS’
B R Chopra’s Mahabharat and Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, the epic shows of the 80s, are garnering the highest ratings and they are telecast in the morning. Reruns of comedy shows and other daily soaps are aired in the day and at night.

Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, whose Mahabharat rerun at 8 pm is also enjoying high ratings, says, “Due to the lockdown, people are consuming content throughout the day. Hence, we are witnessing a surge in viewership in different time bands.”

‘PRIME TIME HAS BECOME FLEXIBLE NOW’
Ashish Golwalkar, Head of Content Sony, Digital Business and SET at Sony Pictures Networks India, adds, “During the lockdown, when everyone is at home, there is no specific time to watch television. Hence, our previous concept of prime time doesn’t hold here.”

Producer Rajan Shahi agrees, “My show Bidaai is now being aired in the afternoon slot and we are hoping that viewers will enjoy it. Currently, prime time is flexible — be it morning, afternoon or evening. The real test will begin when the lockdown ends, and people start following a normal routine.”

‘NEWS VIEWERSHIP HAS SEEN THE MAXIMUM INCREASE DURING THE LOCKDOWN’
The definition of prime time has changed not just for entertainment channels, but also for genres like sports and news. As Vivek Srivastava, President — Strategy and Business Head, English Entertainment Cluster, Times Network, says, “News viewership has seen the maximum increase during the lockdown period. Viewers are keen on fact-based and accurate reportage, and that has resulted in increased viewership. Prime time (8-11 pm) continues to be the most viewed, but we have seen a significant increase in pre-prime (5 pm to 8 pm) and the morning day-parts too.”