News Broadcasting
Zee Network (UK) wins Multicultural Award for competitiveness & enterprise
LONDON: At a glittering function at the Luton University on 24 November, Zee Network, UK, won the leadership in best practice award (Small and Medium Enterprise (SME)) at the first ever Multicultural Awards for Competitiveness and Enterprise 2003 (MACE).
The awards took place at the Putteridge Bury Conference Centre were attended by the Mayor of Luton and leading luminaries from various business houses and were part of the University’s 10th Anniversary celebrations.
Zee Network (UK) CEO Sunil Rohra was delighted to receive the award, sponsored by UK Trade and Investment, from former Conservative party stalwart, Michael Heseltine, who was the chief guest.
“We have always been in the forefront in promoting multiculturalism through our programmes as well as through various events. This award is perhaps, a testimony to Zee Network’s hard work through out these nine years in building bridges and bringing together a diverse community,” said Rohra after receiving the award.
The judges for this prestigious event included Professor Alan Barell of Cambridge Worldwide Associates, Ram Gidoomal, CBE and Dr Elizabeth Hill of China Business Solutions.
Winners on the night also included supermarket giant ASDA for “Diversity Company of the year” and Channel 4 for “Diversity in Business.”
Sponsors of the inaugural MACE awards which was organised by Kinlock Communications included the DTI, GO-East, EEDA, Learning & Skills Council, UK Trade & Investment, Business Link, HSBC and Luton Borough Council.
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.
