Calcutta, Sept. 30: It had been an impressive performance in the past few months. And now it’s official: STAR News is the number one news channel in the country.

As per the latest Television Audience Measurement (Tam) data, STAR News occupies 25 per cent market share compared to Aaj Tak’s 23 per cent, Zee News’s 16 per cent and NDTV India’s 14 per cent.

The channel is on top for both the CS 15+ (cable and satellite, viewers’ age) and CS 4+ categories across Hindi-speaking markets as well as at the all-India level.

The results are significant, as no other news channel has managed to overtake Aaj Tak since its launch in 2000. STAR News was joint leader with Aaj Tak in the past few weeks.

The Tam data also reveals that the top three programmes and eight of the top 10 programmes were on STAR News for Tam’s Week 39.

The channel scores on average time spent as well, with 40 minutes, compared to Aaj Tak’s 30 minutes.

According to Uday Shankar, CEO of Media Content and Communications Services India, which runs STAR News and STAR Ananda, the ratings are an endorsement of the channel’s motto of Aapko Rakhe Aagey.

“They are satisfying because the success of STAR News is an evidence of people’s willingness to change their years of viewing habit for compelling content.”