News Broadcasting
India News makes Dish-tinct move, returns to DD Free Dish on Channel 0073
MUMBAI: Breaking news just found a new address Channel No. 0073. India News, Itv Network’s flagship Hindi news channel, is back on DD Free Dish, renewing its promise of fearless, fact-driven journalism for every Indian household, from metro hubs to remote hamlets. DD Free Dish, the country’s largest free DTH platform, already beams into 49 million homes making India News’ renewed slot a move of scale and substance. Securing one of only two vacant MPEG-2 slots in Prasar Bharati’s 90th e-auction, the channel has cemented its place in an increasingly crowded media landscape, giving advertisers a rare opportunity to tap into one of India’s widest free-to-air audiences.
For India News, the return isn’t just about numbers, it’s about purpose. “Strengthening our nationwide reach through DD Free Dish allows us to take fearless, accurate journalism to millions more,” said India News managing editor for input Rakesh Singh. “In an era where reliable information is more important than ever, this expansion ensures citizens can make decisions based on facts.”
Echoing the sentiment Itv Foundation chairperson Aishwarya Pandit Sharma added: “This renewed inclusion is a strategic step in our commitment to democratising access to quality journalism. It brings our content to every corner of the country while offering advertisers a trusted and credible platform.”
Renowned for its investigative reporting, hard-hitting analysis, and no-nonsense coverage, India News has long stood out in the Hindi news space. With this move, it doubles down on its mission: to empower citizens with reliable, unbiased, high-impact journalism, one household at a time.
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.
