News Broadcasting
Jeff Zucker elevated to NBC Universal president, CEO
MUMBAI: US media conglomerate NBC Universal has announced that Jeff Zucker is its president and CEO.
He succeedes Bob Wright, who has served in this role for 21 years..
NBC Universal’s parent firm General Electric Company Chairman and CEO Jeffrey R. Immelt says, ” Jeff will succeed one of the true giants in media — Bob Wright — to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for helping to build this great media company. By any measure, Bob is one of the most successful media executives ever.
“He transformed NBC from a broadcast network into a diversified global media company. He was always able to see what was coming next, whether it was cable, satellite, Hispanic broadcasting or digital media. Bob’s strategic vision and execution kept NBC growing.”
Zucker, 41, is a 21-year veteran of NBC Universal. As president and CEO, he will have responsibility for the strategic direction and operations of all NBC Universal properties. Zucker is one of the industry’s most experienced executives and has spent much of his career working in NBC’s news, sports, and entertainment divisions. As CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group since 2005, Zucker has overseen the company’s television programming and distribution operations, which account for two-thirds of the company’s overall profits.
Immelt adds, “Jeff Zucker is a terrific talent and the right person to guide NBC Universal on the next stage of its growth. His 20-plus years with NBC give him deep knowledge of the company’s strategy, people and culture. In the past few years, Jeff has shown that he is an energetic, focused leader who can rise to a challenge. His creative experience, expertise in news and broadcasting and intense passion for the business were immensely appealing to the Board and to me during this succession process.
In addition to serving as a vice chairman of GE, Wright will assist with the leadership transition at NBCU.
Zucker said, “Bob has been a terrific mentor to me throughout my career, and I am honored to be his successor and fortunate to assume responsibility of a company that is so well positioned for future growth. I’ve spent my entire career at NBC and had the privilege to work with the best in the business every day. I look forward to continuing to work with this talented management team as we take NBC Universal to the next level.”
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.
