News Broadcasting
Composition of channels under CAS will depend on pricing by broadcasters: INCableNet
MUMBAI: When the cable industry committed on Saturday to provide all channels (pay and FTA) available for a total monthly tab of Rs 222 (exclusive of taxes), the question raised was how did they propose to do it if the broadcasters refused “to play ball”.
The clarification has now come in. Hinduja group MSO INCableNet says it will offer “a full range of genres, including movies, serials, educational programmes, music and news within Rs 222”. The catch “222” is that it does not specify just which pay channels will come at that price. Rajiv Vyas, COO of INCableNet says: “The composition of channels falling in each category will depend on the pricing by the broadcaster and the commercial agreement signed with them.”
In effect this means that if the pay broadcasters “refuse to cooperate”, the subscriber would get only those pay channels that fall within the definition set by the cable service provider. Tag this position along with Zee Telefilms’ demand that Subhash Chandra’s network should be allowed to offer its channels as a complete bouquet gives some idea of just what is the choice being offered at the various “consumer-friendly” prices that are being tom-tommed.
Meanwhile, Vyas indicated that “INCableNet is also considering creating of value packs for the consumers, which will pick out most popular channels from each bouquet and offer them at discounted pricing to allow viewers to get full facet of entertainment at a lower cost.”
Another value add is that INCableNet’s INDigital services will provide electronic programme guides (EPG) that will show clippings of all programmes being shown on the various channels. The EPG will also indicate the programme details such as title of programme, cast etc. Additionally, INDigital is offering pay per view facility that will allow viewers to watch movies, sports, clippings, Bollywood events, etc. in addition to normal 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.
