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BARCs most watched new regional News channels
BENGALURU: It is now 4 weeks since Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC) started publishing segmented data of regional news channels in 4 languages in the public domain. Three of the languages are from East India – Assamese News, Bangla News and Oriya News and one is from West India – Marathi News. BARC commenced ranking the top 5 News channels in each of the markets represented by theses languages from week 35 of 2018 (Saturday, 25 August 2018 to Friday, 31 August 2018) onward.
The four languages from the middle portion (geographically) of the country represent the following markets/states:
Assamese News: Assam /North East/Sikkim (U+R): NCCS All: 2+ Individuals
Bangla News: West Bengal (U+R): NCCS All: 2+ Individuals
Marathi News: Maharashtra/Goa (U+R): NCCS All: 2+ Individuals
Oriya News: Odisha (U+R): NCCS All: 2+ Individuals
Geographically, it could be averred that these languages are from the middle regions of India.
Earlier, in week 1 of 2018 (Saturday, 30 December 2017 to Friday, 5 January 218), BARC had commenced publishing its weekly lists of Top 5 News channels for each of four South Indian languages – Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.
In the case of the four mid Indian languages, the same five channels were present in BARC’s lists of top 5 News channels of all the four languages during all the four weeks that the data is available at the time of writing of this report. As a matter of fact, for three of the East Indian languages, all the five channels for each language followed the same order of ranks. In the case of Marathi News ranks showed a bit of an anomaly.
In general, the News channel for each of the four languages from mid India that has been ranked one had for more viewers that the channel that was ranked two. There was also a marked difference in viewership between a higher rank and its succeeding rank.
Please refer to the figures below showing how the News channels for each language were ranked and the rounded off average of four weeks weekly impressions in (000s):
As mentioned above there was an anomaly in ranks in the case of Marathi News channels.
It is early days yet to get an accurate measure of the performance of the top 5 News channels of each of the mid Indian languages. Time will rank the channels more correctly.
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.
