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Formula 1 organisers try to arrest TV audience slump
FRANKFURT: Cut-throat competition forced by fiction based programmes and reality television have pushed some Formula One event organisers to modify their offerings in order to attract more TV viewers.
The information is contained in Eurodata TV Worldwide’s Formula One TV Audience Ratings. It notes that the la Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) tried to maximise the three important elements of suspense, show and challenge. To achieve this aim they modified their rules this year during the off season. They are looking to prevent a regular and overall decrease of their TV audience ratings.
Asia is a problem area for the FIA. In Japan, the seasonal record was reached during the National Grand Prix with an average rating of four per cent for Fuji TV. This translates to less than one inhabitant out of 20. In China, the best score recorded was 7.9 million viewers on CCTV5 for the San Marino Grand Prix i.e. less than one inhabitant out of 100. In comparison, the Real Madrid tour organised in Asia last August allowed this same channel to gather more than 21 million viewers during the broadcast of the friendly match opposing the stars from Madrid to the Dragons Team. In India the matches aired on Ten Sports.
The progression margin in terms of TV audience remains important notably in this part of the world and the FIA understood it well. It has hence decided to organise, as early as next season, a new Grand Prix in China.
Meanwhile as far as European audiences are concerned the report notes that for the first time since 2000, the average Formula One season audience ratings is increasing in France with an average of 3.6 million viewers per Grand Prix. In Italy on an average around 9.7 million viewers tune in to each race. The UK has an average of 3.2 million viewers.
The best performance comes from Finland where Kimi Raikkonen attracted an average of one inhabitant out of five in front of their television for each Grand Prix. Surprisingly Germany has fared poorly despite the new successes of Michael Schumacher which drove him to his sixth world championship title. The audience rating has been decreasing for the last three years. However the races still gathered an average of nine million viewers.
Eurodata TV Worldwide is the international databank for programmes and television audience ratings covering more than 600 channels in 70 territories. Eurodata TV Worldwide produces a number of reports each year and a range of services which help in the decision making process of international professionals within the audio -visual world.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
