Media Channels organise contests on Fathers Day

New Delhi, June 18: As thousands of men and women all over India express gratitude to their fathers on Father's Day tomorrow, media channels seize it as an excellent opportunity to boost TRPs by soliciting audience participation in innovative contests and getting celebrities to talk about 'childhood experiences'.

On the occasion of Father's Day, Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM had Delhiites recollect all those moments when they fooled their dads.

In the 'Rishtey Mein To Hum Tumhaare Baap lagte Hain' context, listners were asked to phone and recount their humorous experiences with their fathers.

Starting from yesterday, all programmes on the FM channel had a typical 'Father's day flavour'.

For example, the 'Hello Delhi' programme hosted by Nitin yesetrday aired stories by listeners' on the tricks they played to fool their dad, while another host, Anu, revealed how Delhi girls manage party and boyfriends under papa's nose.

In 'Bumper 2 Bumper', host Anant gave listeners a chance to talk about all those secrets they had kept hidden from their fathers.

On the occasion of Father's Day, Star TV also featured on its various channels, television celebrities talking about their experiences, sweet and sour, with their fathers.

Speaking on the channel, TV actor Manish Goel (Tilak From 'Bhabhi') said his "most cherished" gift from his father was his dad's decision ''to him pursue my dream of becoming an actor and letting me move to Mumbai. ''We have our own family business to take care of in Delhi,'' he added.

Acknowledging the contribution of his father, Amarr Upadhyay(the original Mihir of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu thi') said, ''Whatever I am today is all because of my parents, their hardwork, sacrifice and love.''

For TV actor Yash Tonk, the most memorable moment with his dad was when he got a "thrashing of his life" when he approached him for money to buy a copy of the leaked Mathematics paper. ''I don't care if you score low marks or fail the exam, but I don't ever want to see you cheating,'' Yash's father told him. Other TV actors who were featured on the telly talking about their experiences were Hiten Tejwani (Karan In Kyunki saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi), Anita Hasanandani (Anjali from Kavyanjali), Tina Parekh (Mukti from Kasautii Zindagi Kay) and Pariva Pranati (Sanyogita from Prithviraj Chauhan).

Similarly, other channels like Sony, Sab TV, Zoom etc also featured a host of TV as well as film celebrities talking about their 'sweet memories' with their fathers.

Media analysts say occasions like Mothers Day, Childrens Day and Father's Day are increasingly being used as 'marekting opportunities' by radio as well as TV channels to boost their viewership by either featuring innovative contests or celebrities-based shows.

For example, earlier this year, Star Plus featured a host of celebrities with their fathers in its programme 'Jodee Kamal Kee' which had celebrities like Mona Singh (Jassi of 'Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin') talking about their bond with their fathers.

Surveys in the US have revealed that audience spending on the occasions of Mothers Day and Father's Day is much higher compared to others days.

Similarly, it has also been witnessed there is definitely an increase in the number of TV viewers on these special occasions, which are being celebrated with increasing fervour with every passing year.

UNI