News Broadcasting
Cartoon Network US commences production of ‘Squirrel Boy’
MUMBAI: Cartoon Network US has announced that production has begun on its latest animated series, Squirrel Boy.
Created and executive-produced by Everett Peck, 13 half-hour episodes are being produced at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California. The series goes on air next year.
Squirrel Boy is about ten year-old Andy’s and his best friend and pet, Rodney, a know-it-all squirrel with a lot of big ideas. These two “partners in crime” lead each other into all sorts of adventures in Andy’s backyard and throughout the neighborhood that makes Andy’s dad want to kick the oblivious Rodney out on his furry butt. Joining them on some of their adventures is Rodney’s best squirrel buddy, Leon, who prefers the call of the wild to Rodney’s life as a kept squirrel.
Cartoon Network Studios makes Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars and The Powerpuff Girls. In addition to Squirrel Boy, Cartoon Network Studios’ current production slate includes three half-hour series set to premiere on Cartoon Network in 2006 (Ben 10, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey and the untitled Andre Benjamin project), three original shorts and ongoing production of the series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, and Camp Lazlo.
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.
