News Broadcasting
Delayed feed: I&B issues showcause to Nimbus
NEW DELHI: The information & broadcasting ministry has issued a notice to Nimbus Communications to show cause why Neo Sports owned by it has failed to comply with the provisions of the ordinance issued recently for mandatory sharing of live sports feed with Prasar Bharati.
Nimbus Communications has been given time till tomorrow to reply to the notice, which was issued yesterday, failing which the government is “free to take action as permissible under the ordinance”. The showcause was issued on the orders of I&B minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi.
What has irked the mandarins in the ministry is that for the ongoing One-Day International series involving Sri Lanka, as well as the earlier one that pitted the Boys in Blue against the West Indies, DD has been forced to telecast the matches with a seven minute delayed feed.
The Sports Broadcasting Signals (Mandatory Sharing with Prasar Bharati) Ordinance 2007 has a clause embedded in it that states that television channels that fail to comply with the terms of the ordinance for compulsory sharing of live feeds with the national broadcaster Prasar Bharati would have to pay a penalty up to Rs 10 million and also face possible revocation or suspension of license.
The ordinance promulgated on 3 February has retrospective affect from 11 November, 2005, which was when the government had issued its guidelines for downlinking of TV channels. The Uplinking Guidelines had been issued on 12 December, 2005. It has also been stipulated that no action of the government could be challenged in any court of law.
With the Guidelines coming in the ambit of the Ordinance which is expected to be replaced by an Act of Parliament in the ensuing Budget session, the government has taken upon itself the powers to enforce them with retrospective effect. The guidelines are already the subject matter of two petitions in the Delhi High Court.
It may be recalled that the Delhi High Court had on 12 February refused to stay the operation of the ordinance asking private sports channels to share live feed of cricket and other sports events with the pubcaster.
A High Court division bench headed by Justice Vikramajit Sen has posted the matter for further hearing tomorrow.
News Broadcasting
Zee Business corners 74.2 per cent market share on Budget Day, BARC data shows
Channel extends lead as investors tune in for policy decoding and markets
MUMBAI: Zee Business tightened its grip on India’s business news audience on Union Budget Day, commanding a 74.2 per cent market share during peak coverage hours, according to data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
The numbers, tracked between 0800 and 1000 hrs in north India among NCCS ABC males aged 22 and above, underscore the channel’s dominance as investors and traders tuned in for real-time policy decoding and market reaction. The share was calculated across two business news channels.
Industry executives say the spike mirrors an earnings-call-style verdict from viewers: speed, clarity and conviction won the day. Zee Business has retained its leadership beyond Budget Day, topping the charts on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, signalling sustained audience loyalty rather than a one-off surge.
The ratings momentum carried into Budget Samvad 2026, the channel’s flagship post-Budget discussion, broadcast live from the Bombay Stock Exchange. The session was moderated by Zee Business managing editor Anil Singhvi, and featured market veteran Ramesh Damani, among other participants.
Viewers were drawn to wall-to-wall Budget analysis, sharp market calls and plain-English interpretation of policy measures: an approach that continues to differentiate the channel in a crowded news market.
“The 74.2 per cent share reflects viewer trust in timely and credible market insight,” Singhvi said, adding that the post-Budget forum was designed to move beyond headlines and unpack the implications for investors and the broader economy.
