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Sony
Pictures Television International's Sony Entertainment Television
Channel in India Breaks Ratings Records for Indian Idol Season
Finale
MUMBAI,
India, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Pictures Television International's
(SPTI) Sony Entertainment Television channel in India broke
ratings records on Saturday, 5 March 2005, with the airing
of the season finale for Indian Idol, the channel's Hindi-language
version of FremantleMedia's Pop Idol format. The episode recorded
phenomenal ratings of 14.3 (all C&S HSM) and was watched by
15.4 million viewers in India, a new record for the cable
and satellite Hindi-language general entertainment network.
Viewers voted furiously for their favorite Indian Idol eventually
casting a huge total of 55 million votes.
"The confluence
of a universally appealing format, Sony Entertainment Television's
compelling production and their innovative marketing contributed
to Indian Idol becoming such a huge success for the channel,"
said Andy Kaplan, SPTI's Senior Executive Vice President,
International Networks. "Our Los Angeles-based programming
and production team, led by Senior Vice President Marie Jacobson,
worked with FremantleMedia to make sure that the integrity
of the format was successfully realized for the local market
and the phenomenal success of Indian Idol is the result."
Speaking
on the phenomenal performance, Tarun Katial, Executive Vice
President and Business Head, Sony Entertainment Television,
said, "Indian Idol has truly lived up to its promise. The
show has definitely increased our reach levels to an extent
that the Saturday episode is the highest rated show on the
weekend slot this year. It has truly gripped the nation, as
a mammoth total of 55 million votes were cast, showing a considerable
increase in viewer involvement and interactivity. Indian Idol
has truly moved the nation and captured its imagination as
never before, and this is a great beginning as we come back
with the second season of Indian Idol in the second half of
2005."
Launched
on October 28, 2004, Indian Idol debuted with a rating of
5.8 growing each week. Indian Idol has grown Sony Entertainment
Television's primetime viewership by 9% and expanded the general
entertainment category by 7%. In the core target audience
of 15-34, women & men, SEC ABC (C&S), Indian Idol increased
the channel prime time viewership by 16%.
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