News Broadcasting
Bertelsmann reports strong growth in first-quarter revenues
MUMBAI: International media company Bertelsmann recorded considerable growth in its revenue and operating results for the first quarter of 2006.
Consolidated revenues rose by 17.3 per cent to €4.5 billion, versus €3.8 billion in the first three months of 2005. Bertelsmann achieved growth both in its European core markets and in the US.
An essential contributor to this positive performance were the acquisitions made in 2005, which were not yet consolidated in the first quarter of 2005. Adjusted for portfolio and currency effects, revenue was up by 4.5 per cent. Operating EBIT grew by 35.2 per cent to €215 million (2005: €159 million), an increase that is attributable to positive business performance in the divisions. Bertelsmann confirms its forecast of a significant year-on-year improvement in revenue and result for fiscal year 2006.
Bertelsmann’s CFO Thomas Rabe said, “Bertelsmann got off to an excellent start this year. The record first-quarter results continue the positive business development of 2005. Building on this strong foundation, Bertelsmann is well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future. We will pursue outside opportunities and continue to rely on healthy core businesses, systematic acquisitions and expansion to new markets.”
Net income nearly doubled year on year, reaching €90 million after €48 million in the first quarter of 2005. Investments during the first quarter of 2006 amounted to €309 million (2005: €200 million). Economic debt at 31 March 2006 was €3.9 billion as expected (31 December 2005: €3.9 billion). The number of employees increased to 89,409 (31 December 2005: 88,516).
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.
