News Broadcasting
MTV US tenders apology for spoof on Gandhi
MUMBAI: In response to the nationwide uproar over the humiliating depiction of Mahatma Gandhi in its series, Clone High USA,, MTV United States has tendered an apology for having offended Indians and the memory of Mahatma Gandhi.
“We have the utmost respect for Gandhi and all that he represents as a revered Indian leader and one of the most important figures in world history,” says a release from MTV US.
The release further asserts, that Clone High was created and intended for an American audience, and there are currently no plans to air it on any other MTV channel outside the US.
The animated show parodies a number of important, historical figures from around the world, including the US, where this form of comedy is common.
” We recognize and respect that various cultures may view this programming differently, and we regret any offense taken by the content in the show, ” the release adds.
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.
