News Broadcasting
First gospel music channel to launch in US
MUMBAI: After spiritual channels, it is time add sub sections to the genre. A channel devoted to gospel music will be launched in the US by the end of 2004.
The channel’s content will attempt to capture the history and modern influence of all gospel music styles and genres.
The target audience of the channel will be the 25-54 age group. However the schedule will also be strategically day-parted to reach teens, tweens and even children. The channel will feature music video blocks, artists’ biographies, music specials and live concert programming, says an official release.
The Atlanta based channel is the brainchild of Charles Humbard and Brad Siegel. While the former was Discovery’s senior VP and GM, the latter has been president of Turner Entertainment Networks.
The ad-supported network is targetted at the under-served and loyal gospel music market. Private equity firms Alpine Equity Partners L.P. and Constellation Ventures will finance the channel, informs a press release.
The channel also claims to have finalised an agreement with a major US multi system operator (MSO) for carriage throughout America.
Humbard was quoted in a company release saying, “When you take a close look at the television landscape today, there are only a few underserved categories with such a large and passionate fan base.
“Gospel music fans represent a very powerful economic consumer base that stretches from coast to coast. The channel will have a strong appeal among families and advertisers seeking an alternative to other entertainment channels. We will celebrate all styles of this wonderful and historic music genre,” said Humbard.
Gospel music is one of the fastest-growing areas in the US recorded music industry. The music record sales for last year reached 50 million units in the US, the release states.
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.
