News Broadcasting
Hallmark to air 2-part miniseries ‘Earthsea’
MUMBAI: Fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin’s Nebula and Hugo Award-winning series Earthsea has earned a treasured place in the annals of imaginative literature. Now her masterpiece, comparable to JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, comes to television as a richly imagined miniseries event.
Hallmark will air the two part miniseries Earthsea on Sunday 3 July at 9:45 pm and 11:45 pm.
Protected by the High Priestess Thar at the Tombs of Atuan, the Amulet of Peace has insured harmony between humans and dragons for centuries in Earthsea. Now, the future of this utopia is in jeopardy after suffering a grave attack by the Kargides. Earthsea’s temple was invaded, the amulet broken in two, and one of its pieces disappeared.
Vulnerable to the dreams of conquest cherished by the nefarious King Tygath of Atuan, Earthsea has only one chance for restoring the amulet and protecting its many islands from the occupation of evil forces. The last hope is a boy named Ged, a simple blacksmith’s son and a neophyte wizard eager to hone his magical gift, prove his mettle among his peers-and impress the budding priestess Tenar.
The series stars Isabella Rossellini and Danny Glover. On 23 July at 6:30 pm the channel will air the film The Five People You Meet In Heaven. This journey of redemption and self-discovery proves not all mysteries unfold in life.
Eddie is an 83 year old war veteran who has outlived all the people he loved. He spends his days of routine and regret maintaining the rides at Ruby Pier, a seaside amusement park.
Little does Eddie realize his own life one that has been exhausted of surprise is about to come to an end. On this morning unlike all the others, an accident on one of the rides has imperiled a five-year-old girl. In front of a horrified crowd, Eddie attempts to save her life. The last thing he sees is the little girl’s frightened face contorted in tears and pain. The last thing he feels is the child’s hands in his. Then, a blinding flash of light and silence, and Eddie reawakens in an unfamiliar place called Heaven. But he’s not alone. Five people have been waiting to meet him.
Some are loved ones. Some are distant strangers. Their goal is to introduce Eddie to the meaning of life by showing him how their lives and deaths have been a part of his own in ways he never suspected. Each of these souls is looking for closure, each has a story to relate, a secret to divulge, and a lesson to impart. One by one, they illuminate the mysterious interconnecting human web of an earthly life.
Eddie’s journey is about to begin. What he discovers is a chance at redemption and an opportunity to witness his impact on others, to recognise how loyalty and love truly matter, and to understand the surprising outcome of his final act of sacrifice on that fateful afternoon at Ruby Pier.
The film stars Jon Voight, Ellen Burstyn and Jeff Daniels.
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.
