News Broadcasting
DD’s news content to be available in Australia under MoU with SBS
Mumbai: In a significant move, Indian pubcaster Prasar Bharati on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australia’s public service broadcaster Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) to boost co-operation in the field of broadcasting. This alliance will expand the reach of DD News, DD India, and multiple language services of DD News amongst the Indian diaspora in Australia.
“Through this MoU, the two broadcasters will explore opportunities in co-production and joint broadcasting of programmes spanning across multiple genres. They will also exchange programmes (radio and television content) in the fields of culture, education, science, entertainment, sports, news, travel, music and arts,” said the media statement issued by the ministry.
“It would allow for the exchange of programmes, expertise in this sector and would facilitate daily slots on TV channels in Australia for DD India, DD News and DD Sahyadri,” commented India’s foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
Both public broadcasters will also exchange professionals and organise their training to share knowledge on technical know-how and programme production, etc. They will provide facilities and general assistance, including supply of information and other organisational and technical assistance, to each other, said the statement.
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.
