News Broadcasting
Amanpour looks to set the agenda with new show on CNN
MUMBAI: CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will launch a new global interview programme on 21 September that will air live on weekdays on CNN International from New York.
Says Amanpour, “I want this show to stir the global conscience. I have witnessed so much that it is time to start making real sense of it all. I learned to seek facts and to tell the truth no matter how difficult or unpopular and to not accept a false moral equivalence when none exists. I want to provide a forum for others to do the same.”
After spending nearly 26 years of reporting around the globe for the CNN, Amanpour will take on a new role as host of this half-hour weekday programme. The new programme will set the agenda for a new global conversation about the dramatic issues gripping the world.
Each show will primarily focus on one topic – newsworthy and often provocative – and will feature guests who challenge and deconstruct conventional wisdom. Amanpour will mobilise conversation, encourage debate and facilitate change through these interviews and analysis.
CNN International executive VP, MD Tony Maddox says, “Now, in this fragmented media world, Christiane’s powerful brand will serve as the hub for a global community of inquiring minds – people who are hungry for a more daring perspective and a fresh, thoughtful take on international stories.”
Kathy O’Hearn, who has more than 30 years of experience producing for both broadcast and cable networks, will be at the helm as the show’s executive producer.
The repositioning of CNN International includes an ambitious programming schedule that is being bolstered by the launch of six new prime-time programmes this year including the Amanpour launch in September and culminating with the opening of the network’s new production center in Abu Dhabi in November.
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.
