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How Hindi news channels perform on counting day
MUMBAI: News viewership is event-driven – either scheduled or unscheduled. Elections are certainly the most important of all special or scheduled events. Being scheduled additionally helps news channels plan better. Discussions, flashes, events – before, during, and after the polls and election results day – drive the news genre’s viewership through the roof. Some of the channels even have a countdown clock to the D-Day to heighten the anxiety and interest among viewer about who will come to occupy 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.
According to BARC, it is the Elections Results day which draws the largest spike in ratings, followed by Election Day, followed by pre-election days.
As per BARC, on an election result day, the break duration on the channels goes down, with programming increasing. This is due to channels covering the results from multiple perspectives and angles to keep the viewers hooked, and taking lesser breaks.
Election programming plays a key role in helping channels garner big viewership numbers and attracting advertisers. The race for reporting numbers as they trickle in is fierce as viewers switch channels in their hunger for the fastest updates.
Some of the biggest brands in the country also get into the heightened frenzy and spend top dollars on leading Hindi news channels during election season. That’s because sponsorship and native advertising rates are jacked up, keeping in mind the hordes of viewers who will lead to the spurt in ratings.
Across years and markets, we can see a visible drop in some ad insertions on Hindi news on Election Day, as channels take lesser breaks and focus more on the live coverage to increase viewership. Hence, the brands that chose to put their money during this busy time end up paying a premium for the ad inventory.
Election coverage leadership
Nothing gets the Indian public going like the rough and tumble of Indian politics. More so when election season well and truly kicks off with high-voltage campaigns and rallies by political stalwarts in the run up to polling and eventually counting of votes. The political drama that plays out in all the news studios makes for engagement almost equal to what can be seen on TV soaps and dramas on general entertainment channels.
Hindi news channels put their best foot forward to capture the public mood to not just drive up ratings but also their revenues. In a bid to do so, most channels spruce up their programming with leading experts and political watchers.
Below are the reach numbers achieved by the Hindi News genre leader AajTak in the recent elections.
Below is the stack-up of weekly impressions of the recent elections. The genre leader AajTak emerges as the clear leader here as well. It leads second placed India TV by a goodly measure of about 24 per cent. The second, third and fourth slots are hotly contested with the second, third and fourth placed news channels is around five per cent.
Below is the stack-up of Election Day impressions of the recent elections.
The below table shows Hindi News Group and leader AajTak have clocked increased impressions on election result days.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
