News Broadcasting
Hallmark in programming push; appoints acquisitions head
The Hallmark Channel is making a thrust into expanding its programming library. The network has appointed Kirstine Layfield to the newly-created position of senior vice president, programming. Layfield joins the Hallmark Channel from the Toronto-based cable and satellite channel Trio Television, where for the last four years she served as its general manager and vice president of programming. The announcement was made today by Russ Givens, president and chief executive officer of Crown Media International.
Layfield’s prime responsibility will be to strategically identify and acquire top programming on an international basis for the Hallmark Channel. She will be based in the Hallmark Channel’s Denver headquarters, will report directly to Givens and work closely with the managing directors of the Hallmark Channel’s Asian, European and Latin American and operations on program acquisitions.
Givens also disclosed that the Hallmark Channel has acquired a number of high-profile series for many of its territories to further diversify its lineups worldwide. The award-winning family drama Touched by an Angel, with Roma Downey and Della Reese, has been acquired for the Hallmark Channel’s Asia channels while producer Steven Bochco’s police series Brooklyn South has been acquired to air on the Hallmark Channel in Spain, Portugal, Israel, Russia, the Middle East and Asia.
In Israel, Russia and the Middle East, the channel’s subscribers will be able to watch the Gerald McRaney dramaPromised Land, which has also been acquired to air in Australia. For its Spain and Portugal feeds, the Hallmark Channel has acquired the new critically acclaimed drama Judging Amy, starring Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly, and City of Angels, the medical drama featuring Blair Underwood and Michael Warren.
News Broadcasting
Zee Business corners 74.2 per cent market share on Budget Day, BARC data shows
Channel extends lead as investors tune in for policy decoding and markets
MUMBAI: Zee Business tightened its grip on India’s business news audience on Union Budget Day, commanding a 74.2 per cent market share during peak coverage hours, according to data from Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
The numbers, tracked between 0800 and 1000 hrs in north India among NCCS ABC males aged 22 and above, underscore the channel’s dominance as investors and traders tuned in for real-time policy decoding and market reaction. The share was calculated across two business news channels.
Industry executives say the spike mirrors an earnings-call-style verdict from viewers: speed, clarity and conviction won the day. Zee Business has retained its leadership beyond Budget Day, topping the charts on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, signalling sustained audience loyalty rather than a one-off surge.
The ratings momentum carried into Budget Samvad 2026, the channel’s flagship post-Budget discussion, broadcast live from the Bombay Stock Exchange. The session was moderated by Zee Business managing editor Anil Singhvi, and featured market veteran Ramesh Damani, among other participants.
Viewers were drawn to wall-to-wall Budget analysis, sharp market calls and plain-English interpretation of policy measures: an approach that continues to differentiate the channel in a crowded news market.
“The 74.2 per cent share reflects viewer trust in timely and credible market insight,” Singhvi said, adding that the post-Budget forum was designed to move beyond headlines and unpack the implications for investors and the broader economy.
