News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak claims top TV ratings slot during Bihar counting hours
MUMBAI: When the numbers began to tumble in Bihar, the real winner turned out to be the one counting them. Aaj Tak didn’t just report the vote, it swept the ratings ballot, claiming that it has emerged as India’s most-watched TV channel across all genres during the nail-biting four-hour counting window on 14 November.
BARC India’s Week 45 data (November 8–14), shows that between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon, Aaj Tak clocked a massive 1,847 AMA ‘000 alongside a Daily Average Reach of 12.59 million viewers. In plain speak: no GECs, no movie channels, no music stations, and no rival newsrooms could keep pace.
Even in an election season defined by tight races and tighter alliances, this was a landslide. With voters glued to every twist of the Bihar count, Aaj Tak became the nation’s preferred scoreboard turning the morning’s political suspense into a ratings masterclass.
Among news competitors, News18 India secured the second slot with 1,005 AMA ‘000 and a Daily Avg Reach of 10.53 million, a respectable number but still far behind Aaj Tak’s runaway lead.
Below is the list of the top 20 channels across genres during the Bihar counting band:
| Rank | Channel | AMA ‘000 | Daily Avg Reach ‘000 |
| 1 | Aaj Tak | 1,847 | 12,593 |
| 2 | Sony SAB | 1,436 | 10,344 |
| 3 | Sony Pal | 1,271 | 8,921 |
| 4 | Sun TV | 1,221 | 7,310 |
| 5 | B4U Music | 1,160 | 10,129 |
| 6 | Gemini TV | 1,079 | 9,035 |
| 7 | Star Maa | 1,057 | 10,103 |
| 8 | News18 India | 1,005 | 10,531 |
| 9 | NICK(v) | 971 | 7,160 |
| 10 | Star Utsav | 954 | 7,092 |
| 11 | ABP News | 878 | 9,702 |
| 12 | India TV | 860 | 7,630 |
| 13 | Goldmines | 836 | 9,593 |
| 14 | Zee News | 825 | 7,762 |
| 15 | Zee Telugu | 707 | 8,315 |
| 16 | TV9 Telugu | 664 | 6,567 |
| 17 | ETV Telugu | 655 | 7,181 |
| 18 | ShowBox | 605 | 8,452 |
| 19 | KTV | 595 | 6,727 |
| 20 | NTV Telugu | 540 | 6,665 |
BARC India data: Market – India; TG – Universe; Period – 14 November 2025; Time band – 08:00–12:00 hrs; Metrics – AMA ‘000, Daily Avg Reach ‘000.
Beyond news, only high-performing entertainment and regional channels managed to enter the overall leaderboard. Sony Sab, B4U Music, and Star Maa rounded out the top five in AMA terms underscoring just how unusual it is for a news channel to outshine primetime entertainment heavyweights in broad-category rankings.
But counting day has always been a genre of its own equal parts political thriller, sports final, and family drama. And on 14 November, Aaj Tak cracked the formula once again by combining pace, clarity and wall-to-wall access with the kind of viewing urgency only election arithmetic can deliver.
With the Bihar results reshaping political headlines, Aaj Tak’s dominance underscores a familiar truth: when India wants answers in real time, millions instinctively reach for the same remote button. And this time, the channel didn’t just win the ratings race, it won it by a margin any politician would envy.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
