The Failure of Zee's Sawaal Dus Crore Ka

The Zee Defensive - SDCK

KBC's success changed the ground rules in the TRP race between the television channels. Zee TV had to pool all its resources to combat the effect of KBC. Zee even changed the timings of its popular prime time soaps. To lure back the audience lost due to the KBC effect, Zee launched its Malamaal⁹ interactive contest. However, the promotion did not do the trick for Zee, and the KBC menace continued to eat into its TRP ratings and ad revenues. It was at this time that Zee TV decided that it had to come out with a program, which could match KBC. Thus was born Sawal Dus Crore Ka (SDCK).

Zee seemed to have hit the wrong note from the very beginning, when it decided to make SDCK a replica of KBC with Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirala as anchors. To lure away KBC viewers, Zee decided to feed on their greed by offering prize money of Rs 100 million to the winner, as against KBC's Rs 10 million, giving the show a tremendous response initially.

SDCK had inaugural TRP ratings of 7.9 when it was launched in October 2000. However, it slipped down to 3.7 within 3 weeks. During the same period, KBC moved up from 9.3 to 10.5. SDCK was never able to reach the rating of its inaugural show in its short lifespan. SDCK failed to sustain the viewer's interest in the show from the very beginning.

Also, its anchors could not match the charisma and screen presence of Amitabh Bachchan. SDCK was aired on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. putting it in direct competition with KBC, which was aired on all weekdays, except on Friday¹⁰, between 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. Media analysts commented that SDCK had failed to capture the imagination of the audience.

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9] Malamaal involved two questions a day based on two prime time serials. The first question, put out at 8.15 p.m.,
was about the serial being aired at 9 p.m., while the second one, at 8.55 p.m., was on the 9.30 p.m. soap. Viewers
could leave their answers at the designated call center numbers till midnight. Two winners were announced the next
day and each one won one lakh rupees.

10] Recently KBC had been aired only on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Case Details

Case Code : BSTR004
Themes: ---
Case Length : 9 Pages
Period : 1991-2001
Organization : Zee TV, Star TV
Pub Date : 2001
Teaching Note : Available
Countries : India
Industry : Media and Entertainment

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