News Broadcasting
Issues received from Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad
Script approvals We feel that the process of approval of scripts prior to film productions by the Ministry of I & B for foreign film productions in India should be simplified if not eliminated, for example, why do we need the Indian government approving a script of a movie being produced for a foreign audience? Etc.
Approval of foreign cast and crew – We do not understand the need for seeking additional approval of the foreign cast and crew coming into India, after having already procured a visa from our missions abroad. This can be discussed during the meeting and if a representative is available from the Home Ministry, it will be worthwhile.
The supervision of production by NFDC supervisor – This is not only unnecessary but also a burden on production unit costs. Secondly, when the script is already approved then why does one need a supervisor? The supervision by NFDC or I & B official who has no background in creative filmmaking reminds us of the Inspector Raj which existed in other industries until recently. Please get rid of this vestige. The supervisors travel, food and accommodation, which is being borne by the production company becomes an additional, unwanted, unacceptable burden.
The screening of a completed film to the Ministry before release: This is very unreasonable and pointless especially in cases where pure production services are offered.
The RBI circular No. FEMA 61 / 2002 – RB dated May 02, 2002 (which prevent purchase of Insurance cover from a foreign insurance company) Indian production companies undertaking co-productions from foreign insurance companies. In an environment where an Indian insurance company is unable to even propose a comprehensive insurance coverage of a movie production unit, cast and crew, equipment, travel, etc, we should be allowed to take insurance coverage from foreign companies or enable a comprehensive insurance coverage for the Entertainment Industry to evolve within India.
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.
