News Broadcasting
New TAM peoplemeter seeding completion in Jan
MUMBAI: The switchover to the single unified ratings system is taking longer than envisaged. The process of installation of a total of 4,800 peoplemeters is now expected to be completed between the middle and end of January.
Once these 4,800 peoplemeters have been installed all urban centres with a population of over 100,000 will be effectively covered, TAM Media president LV Krishnan informed indiantelevision.com. Krishnan added that there would be a further 200 meters kept as standby in case replacements were required.
The details of what is expected to be achieved have been presented by TAM in a report titled “India Peoplemeter Update II” that was readied on 20 October. According to Krishnan, the joint industry body (JIB) that constitutes agencies, advertisers and broadcasters and chaired by Unilever’s BV Pradeep had already vetted the report.
The update is the second such report to be released, the first of which was out in April.
To increase the sample width, Rajasthan and Bihar (formerly not part of it) have now been included among the areas covered. However, the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and the north-east still remain out of the sample.
As far as the big cities go, it is Mumbai that will have the highest number of meters with 450 (earlier 312) followed by Delhi with 425 (355 before). Kolkata will have 265, while Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad will all 255 each.
The new “single currency” for television ratings is a result of the merger of the ratings of ORG MARG’s Intam with that of IMRB’s Tam. This process was initiated in October 2001 when a new venture was floated to combine the local TV ratings from TAM Media Research (a 50:50 joint venture between AC Nielsen and Kantar Media research combined with IMRB) with data from ORG -Marg, in a single service across India.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
