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BARC week 34: DD India drops to fifth place in English news genre
BENGALURU: PubcasterDoordarshan’s English News channel DD India dropped to its lowest rank ever in week 34 of 2019 since Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) recommenced publishing viewership data in the public domain. Earlier, the ratings agency had stopped publishing data in the public domain starting week 6 of 2019 allow ratings to stabilize on implementation of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) New Tariff Order. BARC restarted putting up data on its website in week 13 of 2019 on coercion from TRAI.
During the 22 weeks(including weeks 13 and 34 of 2019) since, DD India has been ranked first in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 English News channels four times, has been ranked second 6 times, has been ranked third ten times, and has been ranked fourth and fifth once each. Hence, DD India’s ranking in week 34 (Saturday, 17 August 2019 to Friday, 23 August 2019) has been its lowest ever in 22 weeks. Please refer to the figure below
All the five channels in BARC’s weekly lists of top 5 English News channels have been the same during the 22 weeks (weeks 13 to 34) under consideration in this paper, except that there has been a shuffling of ranks.
The combined weekly impressions of BARC’s top 5 English News channels dipped once again in week 34 of 2019 as compared to week 33. This time the week-on-week dip in ratings was even higher at 14.9 percent (0.379 million impressions) as compared to the dip of 11.7 percent (0.338 million weekly impressions) between weeks 33 and 32 of 2019.In week 34 of 2019, three channels – DD India (52.4 percent drop), CNN News18 (20.3 percent drop) and Times Now (9.5 percent drop) saw ratings fall. Two channel in BARC’s weekly list of top 5 English News channels in week 34 witnessed growth in ratings. They were Republic TV (increase of 0.048 million weekly impressions) and India Today TV (increase of 0.005 million weekly impressions) . Please refer to the figure below:
Let us see how the top 5 English News channels performed in week 34 of 2019
The Arnab Goswami led Republic TV retained its first rank with 0.762 million weekly impressions in week 34 of 2019 as compared to 0.714 million weekly impressions in week 33. Times Now climbed up a place to second rank in week 34 of 2019 with 0.498 million weekly impressions as compared to rank three and 0.550 million weekly impressions in the previous week. Climbing up two places to rank three in week 34 of 2019 was India Today Television with 0.321 million weekly impressions as compared to rank five and 0.321 million weekly impressions in week 33. Retaining its previous week’s rank four was CNN News18 with 0.315 million weekly impression in week 34 of 2019 as compared to 0.395 million weekly impressions in week 33. DD India completed the quintet with less than half of its week 33 viewership. At fifth rank,DD India garnered 0.272 million weekly impressions in week 34 of 2019 as compared to second rank and 0.572 million weekly impressions in week 33.
Please refer to the figure below:
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.
