News Broadcasting
BBC World to premiere Indian Journeys 20 August
NEW DELHI: International news channel BBC World will telecast a new six-part series, Indian Journeys, from Tuesday, 20 August, 2002 at 10:00 pm, with additional appointments to view on Saturdays at 10:00 pm and Sundays at 12 Noon.
The series embarks on an exploratory journey across the spiritual heartland of India with renowned author William Dalrymple as he delves deep into the Indian spiritual psyche and explores what lies at its core – within the rich tapestry of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, according to a BBC press release.
The first two episodes, titled Shiva’s Matted Locks, follow William as he traces the source of the sacred river Ganges, a journey that takes him 15,000 ft into the high Himalayas near the Tibetan border. In the next two episodes titled City of Djinns, William visits Delhi to explore the strong interconnections between Islam and Hinduism that are manifest to this day in the form of age old rituals, monuments and customs. In the final two episodes, William goes to the South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which are traditionally said to have close linkages with the Apostle of Jesus commonly known as Doubting Thomas.
An inspiring kaleidoscope of Indian images, religions and regions, Indian Journeys won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in 2002. The programme captures the colour and the essence of Indian spiritualism through the eyes of a celebrated travel writer in search of its holy origins. The series showcases India’s connections with spirituality and offers the viewer a rich and enthralling experience with a unique perspective.
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.
