News Broadcasting
NBF backs supreme court observation on misused sedition laws
KOLKATA: The News Broadcasters Federation has supported the concern, as expressed by the Supreme Court, over rampant misuse of antiquated sedition laws in India to gag and muzzle the media from dissemination constructive criticism of authorities in power in public interest.
“We are of the view that the ambit and parameters of the provisions of Sections 124A, 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code 1860 would require interpretation, particularly in the context of the right of the electronic and print media to communicate news, information and the rights, even those that may be critical of the prevailing regime in any part of the nation,” a three-judge bench comprising of justices Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao, and S. Ravindra Bhat, said in their order delivered on Monday.
The bench was hearing petitioners TV5 and ABN, who had challenged the first information report registered against broadcasters of news and views, critical of the state government of Andhra Pradesh and its chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. The order restrained the state government of Andhra Pradesh from taking any coercive actions against the two news channels, till the next date of hearing.
“The News Broadcasters Federation strongly stands and appreciates TV5, our respected member who have taken (up) this issue, of freedom of speech and expression,” NBF stated.
The NBF communication further said, “We believe that fair and honest criticism is the backbone of democracy. NBF reiterates and urges the government of India to immediately set-up an independent, neutral national agency to investigate into any allegations of professional misconduct by journalists, executives, and owners of news media companies, in order to prevent selective harassment by the state authority and to ensure the freedom of the press.”
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.
