News Broadcasting
Times Network to launch 3 new channels; announces apps for 3 existing channels
MUMBAI: The Times Network is all set to launch two news channels and one non-news channel. The network will unveil the three channels in the financial year 2016-17. Expanding its footprint in the digital space, the network will also launch apps for three of its channels namely Zoom, ET Now and Times Now. The apps will roll out in four month’s time starting with the launch of Zoom app.
“We are working extensively on the three app licenses for now. After that we will be able to give a better idea about the channels and when we will them for our viewers,” says Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand.
When asked if the network is experimenting with a new genre, Anand refused to comment.The network is also in talks to launch a digital platform once digitisation settles down in 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.
