News Broadcasting
India TV’s Wellness Weekend delivers expert health insights
MUMBAI: India TV successfully hosted its highly anticipated ‘Wellness Weekend’, bringing together prominent health experts to discuss key health concerns affecting millions. Covering everything from heart disease and diabetes to sleep deprivation and gut health, the event empowered viewers with practical lifestyle advice.
The sessions featured renowned specialists, including cardiologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, and orthopaedists, who highlighted the urgent need for healthier choices in daily life.
Public health expert Sameer Bhati warned about the rising trend of sleep deprivation among youth, emphasising its impact on overall well-being.
Fortis Escorts Heart Institute chairman Ashok Seth shed light on the 50 per cent rise in heart attacks in India over the past 15 years, particularly among those under 50. He attributed this to sedentary lifestyles, smoking, stress, and poor diets. His advice? Brisk walking for 200 minutes a week can cut heart attack risk by 25 per cent.
Max Saket group chairman of cardiac sciences Balbir Singh clarified misconceptions about angioplasty, bypass surgery, and stents, discussing medical advancements that improve post-surgery recovery.
Max Healthcare chairman of endocrinology Ambrish Mithal stressed the need for annual blood sugar tests from age 25, given the high prevalence of diabetes in India due to genetics, obesity, and poor diets.
IDHS Medanta vice chairman Amarender Singh Puri explained that gut biodiversity declines with age, making gut health management crucial for digestion and immunity.
Sanjeev Saxena highlighted early warning signs of kidney issues and recommended limiting salt intake to five grams per day for healthy individuals and 2.5 grams for those with hypertension. He also advised drinking 2.5 to three litres of water daily to prevent kidney disease.
PSRI chairman of pulmonary Gopichand Khilnani warned about India’s worsening air quality, particularly in Delhi, Kanpur, and Kolkata. He also noted the lasting effects of excessive steroid use during Covid-19, prominent to an increase in asthma and bronchitis cases.
India TV managing director & CEO Ritu Dhawan remarked, “Well-being is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life, and with ‘Wellness Weekend,’ we aim to empower our audiences with expert insights on physical and mental health. This initiative is our commitment to fostering a healthier society by bringing together medical experts and fitness enthusiasts to inspire meaningful lifestyle changes.”
Through this initiative, India TV continues its mission to raise awareness and provide reliable health information, ensuring viewers make informed choices for a healthier future.
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.
