News Broadcasting
Network18 to hold ‘The India – China Dialogues’ in Beijing
MUMBAI: In the lead up to PM Narendra Modi’s visit to China, Network 18 has launched ‘The India – China Dialogues,’ which is an initiative that aims to mirror the emerging dynamism in bilateral policy making and reflect on the areas of mutual cooperation between India and China.
The full day conclave will be hosted on 12 May, 2015 at Park Hyatt, Beijing and broadcast across the leading Network18 channels including CNN-IBN and IBN7.
The second such initiative in a series of ‘Dialogues’ after the India-US Dialogues organised on the eve of President Barack Obama’s visit to India in January this year, the India – China Dialogues endeavours to build a critical mass – both intellectual and proper to propel this vital relationship to the next level.
With Modi’s maiden journey to Beijing, this year will see the recalibration and cementing of bilateral ties between Asia’s two leading economies – India and China. Modi’s trip is all set to be a potentially defining one, which could transform ties between the two Asian neighbours and create new opportunities for their people.
The India – China Dialogues will see distinguished dignitaries from both sides examining key areas that are pivotal in this partnership. Topics ranging from trade and investment, technology cooperation and the business prospects with Make in India, will be discussed. The expert panel will also explore the synergies for growth in the areas of tourism, healthcare and education, people to people relations.
IBN Network CEO Avinash Kaul said, “As Asia’s leading economies come together, we are looking forward to solution led discussions that will help the two nations to further cultivate their relations and script new pathways of progress for all. I’m sure that the India-China Dialogues will serve as a beneficial platform to examine key areas that will shape the relationship between the two countries and ideate out-of-the-box solutions for the two governments.”
Network 18 group president – news Umesh Upadhyay added, “We at Network18 take immense pride in announcing The India – China Dialogues after the huge success of The India-US Dialogues. Marking the prestigious occasion of our Prime Ministers visit to China, this conclave aims to give our viewers an in-depth analysis of the relationship between India and China and set the tone for PM Modi’s visit.”
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI: Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
