News Broadcasting
Gautam Bhattacharya appointed as editor of Zee 24 Ghanta
Mumbai: Zee Media Corp has announced the appointment of Gautam Bhattacharya as editor of Zee 24 Ghanta. In this new role, he will oversee the input and output of all content for the channel to drive its growth.
Bhattacharya is one of the most respected and renowned sports journalists in the country. His unique content style is sure to enrich the news consumption experience of the Bengali audience.
“Gautam’s wealth of experience will make Zee 24 Ghanta stronger. He is a known face in the industry who always leads from the front, and we have immense confidence in him,” remarked Zee 24 Ghanta’s CEO Purushottam Vaishnava. “With the joining of Gautam Bhattacharya, we are equipped with one of the most robust regional teams. The channel is already undergoing a few changes in content and Gautam could not have joined at a better time.”
“We are excited to have Gautam on board,” said Zee Media Corp CRO Abhay Ojha. “His varied experience will help in curating a viewing experience unparalleled in the Bengal news industry. This will also help us drive the revenue growth projected for the channel.”
Currently, Zee 24 Ghanta is on a fresh route to rediscover the true essence of news in the increasing clutter. Dedicated to keeping the people of Bengal abreast with the latest happenings, factual reporting, and in-depth analysis, the channel is one of the key news channels in the regional news space.
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.
