News Broadcasting
ABU and Unesco ink deal for establishing branded AV section
MUMBAI: The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and Unesco’s programme for creative content have announced a new partnership for the establishment of a branded section of audio visual content listings on Unescos Audio Visual E-Platform.
The ABU will work with its more than 102 member broadcast companies from across the Asia-Pacific region in identifying content suitable for exchange and promotion in the international market.
Unesco’s Audiovisual E-Platform provides global on-line contact between filmmakers, broadcasters and distribution outlets, enhancing the promotion and distribution of culturally diverse audiovisual content.
The E-Platform contains recently produced, innovative documentaries, short films and TV-magazines, which are original in form and content and go beyond conventional forms of filmmaking. Selected productions provide a genuine expression of different cultures, and are ready for on-line, full-length screening, which can be viewed at http://creativecontent.unesco.org.
The new ABU-Unesco partnership and call for entries fulfills both the objectives of Unesco in enhancing the promotion and distribution of culturally diverse audiovisual content as well as the responsibility of the ABU in supporting its member broadcasters and producers to gain greater visibility and interaction in the international market place.
“Unescos E-Platform is an important initiative for aiding television, film and documentary producers and provides a vehicle for promoting, marketing and exchanging content. It will help in providing access and visibility to producers and content that otherwise find it difficult to compete in international markets,” said ABU secretary general David Astley.
At a global level, broadcasters, distribution outlets and relevant institutions will be able to read about the work of producers and watch samples on-line before contacting the rights holders for acquisition.
Acquisitions, commercial transactions or negotiations will be done directly between the copyright holders and the persons interested in acquiring the content. While not acting as agent of any of the content listed on the E-Platform, Unesco and the ABU are committed to fostering respect for the copyright of Audio-visual works.
Unesco’s Audiovisual E-Platform is a highly secured platform designed for professionals in the film and television industry as a means of promotion and distribution of creative productions at local, regional and international levels. Unesco ensures the security and restriction of access.
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.
