News Broadcasting
Fromer E! boss Jarl Mohn joins MobiTV
MUMBAI: In a move that signals the potential of the mobile television category, Jarl Mohn aka Lee Masters has joined the board of directors of Idetic, the company that created MobiTV, the world’s leading television network for mobile phones.
In addition, Mohn has made a financial investment in the company and will become a senior advisor to the MobiTV management team, lending his expertise across content, distribution and technology to help shape the company’s future, states an official release.
“Having created and led some of the media business’ most recognized brands and companies from inception to launch, Jarl is a true visionary in the entertainment space, and we are honored to have him as a thought partner and investor,” said Idetic chairman & CEO Phillip Alvelda. “We look forward to tapping his insights and experience to expand our content offerings and deliver the best mobile television experience.”
“MobiTV is a significant investment opportunity, as they have earned a leadership position in a category that is experiencing a faster distribution trajectory than that of radio and even cable television did at inception,” said Mohn. “I am enthusiastic about contributing to the company beyond traditional board involvement, and working with the team to realize the business’ potential.”
Jarl Mohn was founding president of Liberty Digital, a publicly traded subsidiary of Liberty Media Group involved in interactive television, cable television networks, and Internet enterprises. He served as its Chief Executive Officer from June 1999 to March 2002. Prior to founding Liberty Digital, he was president and CEO of E! Entertainment Television where he also founded E! Online through a joint venture with CNET. From 1986 to 1989, Mohn was executive vice president and general manager of MTV and VH1. He began his professional life with a 20-year career in radio, the official statement added.
MobiTV recently increased its channel line-up with popular programming including Major League Baseball, Fox News and The Weather Channel. Also, MobiTV has expanded internationally with carriers in the United Kingdom, Canada and Latin America. Leveraging the new 3G wireless data networks, MobiTV delivers a high quality television experience offering a wide range of content and an intuitive graphical user interface.
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.
