News Broadcasting
BBC using computer phone technology to boost quality of radio journalism
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC is counting on a pocket computer phone is set to revolutionise newsrooms and newsgathering across BBC Local Radio in Britain.
Earlier this year BBC Radio Lincolnshire linked up with the Maastricht-based Technica del Arte to transform a pocket PC phone, the XDA, into a professional recording device capable of sending high quality sound down a mobile phone line or from a wi-fi spot.
After exhaustive testing by Radio Lincolnshire staff for the past six months the pilot scheme has been judged so successful that it is to be rolled out to all BBC radio stations across the UK.
It has also been shortlisted for an international IBC Innovation Award, to be judged at a ceremony in Amsterdam in September.
BBC controller of English Regions Andy Griffee said, “This new technology means that journalists are totally self-contained. They no longer need to waste time travelling to and from base – they can prepare and broadcast quality radio direct from the scene of the story without going anywhere near a studio, ISDN line or mobile transmitter. This has revolutionised newsrooms and newsgathering in Lincolnshire, and will do the same across the country.”
The phone can also send pictures for use on web sites and ‘first break’ video footage for television. The BBC says that the technology means that its journalists now spend less time in the office and more time out in the field producing an average of 50 per cent more audio than using conventional recording devices.
Another benefit is that everyone has a phone with them at all times – therefore there is potentially much quicker/better response and coverage of any major stories which break.
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.
