News Broadcasting
Cox to partner with MTV US on HD channel
MUMBAI: MTV in the US and Cox Communications have announced a co-branded retail partnership that will promote MHD: Music High-Definition Channel.
This is MTV’s high-definition music channel. The retail partnership will include in-store and online promotions tied to consumer retail locations around the US. The partnership will also push Cox HD Service, where Cox services are sold
The retail partnership is designed to not only generate awareness about MHD and Cox HD service, but to also provide a convenient location where customers can learn about the technology, service and programming available.
VHI GM Tom Calderone says, “Working with Cox Communications, the first provider to launch MHD, allows us to bring television viewers a high-definition experience from the best known music brands in the business. Our retail partnership furthers our commitment to offer Cox customers’ in-depth information about high-definition television in a retail setting where they can get answers and take advantage of promotional opportunities.”
Cox senior VP marketing Joe Rooney says, “Live concerts and music are among the top reasons customers want high-definition service. MHD content especially appeals to a newer, younger HD consumer who is driven by music and gaming. Our retail partnership is a great way to truly demonstrate the high-definition experience to this audience by offering a ‘front row seat’ to some of the most exciting live music events on television. It also gives us a platform to communicate to these consumers why Cox is the best choice for HD service.”
Cox will offer the channel to over 80 per cent of its subscribers next year. MHD features a high-definition music programming, including MTV Unplugged: Alicia Keys, VH1 Storytellers: Green Day, CMT Crossroads: John Fogerty and Keith Urban as well as original concert series such as Music with Altitude featuring the Goo Goo Dolls.
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.
