News Broadcasting
BBC. HBO to collaborate on ‘Tsunami’ drama
MUMBAI: Following the success of Rome, the BBC and HBO will collaborate on a two part drama that deals with the tsunami tragedy and the events that followed.
Tim Roth, Toni Collette, Sophie Okonedo are among the actors that will star. The drama will focus on the aftermath of the cataclysmic natural disaster.
Developed and written by Abi Morgan, Tsunami is a Kudos production for BBC Two and HBO Films and will air later this year.
A tale of personal loss, Tsunami follows a group of fictitious characters whose lives are irrevocably transformed by the natural disaster. Based on extensive research and interviews, the drama explores how governments, the media and aid agencies respond, when without warning, they are tested by a natural disaster of this scale.
The drama will also tackle the relationship between mankind and nature.
Kudos has been collaborating with local communities and the piece will feature a variety of locations and landmarks affected by the tsunami. Filming on location in Phuket and Khao Lak has commenced.
BBC controller of drama commissioning Jane Tranter says, “A thought provoking drama of loss, survival and hope, Tsunami is another example of BBC Drama’s commitment to deliver ambitious and distinctive projects that reflect the world in which we live by delving into the headlines and revealing the stories behind them.”
Kudos executive producer and joint MD Jane Featherstone says, “The catastrophic events of Boxing day 2004 had a profound and lasting effect on people across the globe. Through meticulously researching real life events, real people and working closely with the survivor groups Abi has written a wonderful, powerful drama that purposely asks what mankind can learn from the event, as well as reflecting on the far reaching emotional and political repercussions of that fateful day.”
BBC Two controller Roly Keating says, “It is a tribute to the power of Abi’s writing that such an extraordinary cast has come together for this important TV event.”
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:Â 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.
