News Broadcasting
CNN, JCTV to launch exclusive CNNj in Japan
TOKYO : Japanese television viewers will be able to see their own exclusive CNN channel with the launch of CNNj in March 2003. CNN and Japan Cable television (JCTV) have teamed up to provide this unique new service tailored specifically for Japanese viewers, with hours of CNN programming never previously seen by international audiences.
An official release states that CNNj combines content from three of CNN’s award-winning networks: CNN/US, CNNfn and CNN International. This new channel, made possible because of JCTV’s longstanding partnership with CNN for nearly 20 years, also comprises increased Japanese languaging of news and feature programmes.
President, CNN International Networks Chris Cramer said, “Thanks to the strong support of our long-time partner, JCTV we have been able to take this important initiative in Japan, the largest market for CNN in Asia. By making this strategic investment to create a unique CNN channel we are proving our commitment to cater to the specific viewing preferences of Japanese audiences.”
JCTV continues to be the exclusive distribution partner of CNN in Japan and will increase its hours of Japanese translation by seven hours a week, to a total of 126 hours per week. During times of major breaking news JCTV will further increase its bilingual service to translate the breaking news as it happens.
The release states that CNNj is CNN International’s seventh regionalised feed and offers a new schedule exclusively created for Japanese audiences based on audience feedback and market research.
The new channel will be a combination of popular US news programmes including American Morning with Paula Zahn and Connie Chung plus international and regional news, business and feature programming.
JCTV and CNN have had a strong business partnership since CNN became available in Japan in 1982, the first country outside the U.S to distribute CNN. CNN is currently available via Sky PerfecTV!, Sky PerfecTV!2 and cable to four million households and 100,000 hotel rooms, the release says.
JCTV is an affiliate of Asahi Shimbun and TV Asahi. In 1971 it stared as the first English language cable TV station in Japan.
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.
