News Broadcasting
How CNBC-Awaaz managing editor Anuj Singhal sees Budget 2025 panning out
MUMBAI: Hindi business news channel CNBC-Awaaz has budgeted oodles of programming and innovations as it seeks to give its viewers a simplified rendition of the Union Budget when it is presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The channel’s managing editor Anuj Singhal shared his views on the upcoming Budget 2025 and detailed the channel’s comprehensive programming strategy to decode its impact on the economy and markets.
Reflecting on the previous year’s budget, Singhal noted, “The 2024 Budget was essentially a vote-on-account, but significant announcements like the rationalisation of capital gains tax stood out. We expect the government to continue streamlining the tax structure and closing existing loopholes.”
Singhal emphasised CNBC-Awaaz’s audience-focused approach under the theme Make or Break, aimed at day traders and investors closely tracking budget announcements. He highlighted the inclusion of expert panels, such as the Budget Editors, featuring CEOs and market specialists dissecting budget impacts on stocks and investments. The Budget Jury will cover tax, mutual funds, and broader market trends from both common investor and market perspectives. Additionally, a Tech Panchayat will provide real-time stock trading insights based on budget developments.
Addressing the challenge from digital-first competitors, Singhal revealed plans for a digital-exclusive stream featuring prominent anchors and experts on YouTube and other platforms. “We are fully leveraging our position as the number one digital business news platform in terms of reach,” he said.
Singhal assured viewers of CNBC-Awaaz’s capability to track market reactions in real-time. “Our anchors live and breathe markets. We’ll keep one eye on the budget and the other on live stock movements, ensuring our audience doesn’t miss a single detail.”
Special formats, including interactive charts and live market check-ins, will further enrich the coverage.
On anticipated policy changes, Singhal was cautious: “We do not foresee a significant policy shift. The government’s prudent fiscal approach has served it well. Any major change would indeed be surprising.”
With a robust line-up of expert opinions and digital innovations, CNBC-Awaaz aims to provide unmatched coverage of Budget 2025, empowering traders and investors with actionable insights.
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: 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.
