Zee News DNA show tops TRP due to huge support over Shaheen Bagh 'entry ban'

Source: BARC

New Delhi: The anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Shaheen Bagh area of Delhi have been continuing for almost two months now. While protesters are not ready to move away from one side of the road, the local residents of Delhi and Noida agitated because of the road's closure. Zee News has been getting a lot of support from the citizens because of the bold coverage in the whole matter.

On January 27, Zee News editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary was stopped from entering Shaheen Bagh to cover the protests, while politicians across the country condemned the behaviour people too showed their support by eagerly watching the Zee News's flagship show DNA.

According to the latest TRP data released by BARC, a ranking measure of TV channels, the DNA special coverage of Shaheen Bagh on January 27 was the most viewed show on TV. On that day, Zee News was the most viewed news channel between 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm. Notably, DNA show airs from 9 to 10:30 pm. 

Also, #370InShaheenBagh trended on Twitter, while it was the number one trend in India it was at the number three trend in the world.

Of all the prime-time shows on all the major news channels of the country, Zee News' prime time show was the highest watched show on that day. The graph below shows the massive difference in the TRP rating of Zee News and other channels for that day.

On that day, the protesters at Shaheen Bagh stopped Zee NEWS editor-in-chief, Sudhir Chaudhary, from entering further than the barricades. Despite several requests from Chaudhary to meet the demonstrators, to put their point of view in front of the country, the protesting women did not let him inside. With him was, Deepak Chaurasia, consulting editor of News Nation, both senior journalists were not allowed to enter by the protesters.

After this, Zee News editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary had asked all the designer journalists and anchors of the country to do their own ground reporting from Shaheen Bagh. After that, many senior journalists and anchors of several news channels were seen visiting Shaheen Bagh, but the recent BARC figures have shown that the people of the country have given them a befitting reply.