News Broadcasting
ETV revamps channels in five states, launches special
MUMBAI: Continuing with the on-going refresh of its channels, ETV channels in MP/Chhattisgarh, Bihar/Jharkhand and Rajasthan also underwent a complete makeover. Apart from the fresh packaging, new look and feel; new shows were also launched on these channels. To promote the new look, the channel will also be rolling out a multi-media campaign across the states.
Panorama Television, a part of Network18, operates 13 channels and is among India’s largest regional news networks comprising of ETV and News18 brands across 26 states .
Network 18 president – strategy, product & alliances & A + E Networks MD Avinash Kaul said, “We are committed to bring the best in terms of content, formats and packaging to the viewers of ETV in each state. ETV channels in UP/Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka have already been revamped. The changes that are being effected in these three channels now are a part of the same process towards ensuring a consistent, common and superlative viewing experience.”
In terms of their programming, all three channels will have a hard hitting debate show Prime Debate at 8pm. While the branding of the show will be common, in different states it will focus on the top news of the state for the day and discuss the same threadbare. The show will be hosted by top anchors such as JP Sharma in Rajasthan and Praveen Dubey & Prakash Chandra Hota in MP and Chhattisgarh respectively.
A new crime show Tafteesh will also be launched – all three channels will have this show and will highlight the latest crime stories from each state. Special shows will also be launched such as News Trendz on ETV MP which will present the latest trends on social media and Seedhi Satt a one on one interview show with Shreepal Shaktawat on ETV Rajasthan.
ETV News Network group editor Rajesh Raina added, “We feel that these changes will help us further consolidate our position as the leading news channel in each state. We believe that the channels’ refreshed look will further strengthen our connect with our viewers as they will get an enriched viewer experience while we continue to provide them the news that matters to them most.”
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.
