News Broadcasting
IBN7 revamps primetime with two mega shows as polls come closer
NEW DELHI: With the general elections round the corner, IBN7 is revamping its primetime programming with the introduction of two brand new shows with veteran journalists Vinod Dua and Sanjay Pugalia.
The new programming will mark the return of Vinod Dua in a special election show Vinod Dua Ka Prashnkaal, which will be the first fully interactive prime-time election show on any Hindi news platform. The host will give a platform to viewers to express themselves freely and participate in the election discussions.
The channel will put out a “Topic of the Day” for a fixed time during the day, inviting viewers to call in with their views and questions. Questions would also be taken from Twitter, Facebook and the channel’s website – IBNKhabar. Additionally, the channel will also integrate a distinct video element called “Open Mike” which will allow on-camera views and questions on the day’s topic. Vinod Dua Ka Prashnkaal will air every Monday to Thursday at 8 pm.
Another new prime time show, India 9 Baje, will go on air from 18 February every Monday to Friday at 9 pm, and will see Sanjay Pugalia do a round-up of the day’s major news stories. The show will follow a flexible format, primarily consisting of one big debate along with other stories of impact from the worlds of politics, sports, business, international and entertainment news. Sanjay Pugalia with his experience, credibility and vast knowledge of politics as well as political economy, will give viewers a rare combination of the two in his delivery of news.
Speaking on IBN7’s new prime-time line up, CNN-IBN and IBN7 MD Vinay Tewari said, “Elections are a complex, engaging and diverse event. It needs solid professionals who understand the complexities, who can simplify it for our audience and who believe in clarity over noise and sensation. We have brought in two of India’s leading journalists to take our primetime programming to the next level and who symbolise our beliefs about news. Vinod Dua, with his experience and unique style, is back to give viewers his take on the elections and engage them in our daily discourse while Sanjay Pugalia, whose understanding of politics and political economy is unparalleled, will debate and encapsulate the day’s major news on India 9 Baje.”
IBN Network Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai said, “We are looking at possibly the most crucial general elections in Indian history. And IBN7 is set to launch two new shows anchored by two of the most influential and experienced journalists in the industry. Amidst the furore of elections, our new prime time line-up aims to help our viewers understand the socio-political scenario better and enable them to make informed decisions. We believe that these shows will add immense value to our programming and enable our network to set the industry standard for years to come.”
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.
