News Broadcasting
BBC switches off analogue feed
NEW DELHI: From today, BBC World will switch off its analogue signal on PAS 10 in South Asia and the Middle East. This is part of BBC World’s ongoing process of digitalisation across the region, which began last October with the introduction of a digital signal on PAS 10.
The free-to-air digital signal on PAS 10 will now fully replace the former analogue signal.
Jeff Hazel, BBC World’s director of sales and distribution, in an official statement said: “This is the final reminder to any viewers who haven’t already made the change. Fully replacing the analogue signal with the digital signal is part of BBC World’s dedication to bringing viewers the highest quality signal with which to enjoy and appreciate BBC World’s quality news.”
The downlink frequency for the digital signal is: 3974 Mhz. No decoder cards are needed. Distributors and viewers will require a Digital Satellite Receiver to continue watching BBC World.
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.
