News Broadcasting
CNN launches ‘Asia Now’ as part of its AsiaPac revamp
MUMBAI: To boost its evening news programming slot, news network CNN is launching a new business programme, Asia Now, in two live one-hour editions.
Taking a cue from its morning programme format, CNN will telecast these editions at 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm on weekdays. The first of the editions will go on air on 11 August 2003 from CNN’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong. The revamped telecast timings are a part of a complete makeover in Asia Pacific programming schedules that become effective from 11 August.
The one-hour programme offers a mix of news and analysis with a strong focus on business and market related information. This business show will also provide live reports on the European markets as they close and on The New York Stock Exchange as they open. The programme proposes to cover latest technology developments and profiles of business leaders under regular segments like Tech Watch and Challenging CEOs.
Andrew Stevens and Veronica Pedrosa
The business oriented show is co-anchored by veteran journalists Andrew Stevens and Veronica Pedrosa. Stevens has been reporting on Asian business and economic news for more than eight years and Pedrosa has over ten years of broad-based and global news coverage to her credit.
CNN International Asia Pacific senior VP Ian Macintosh was quoted in a press release as saying, “The show reflects our continuing investment in quality news programming.”
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.
