News Broadcasting
News18 India to welcome 2021 with an entertaining line-up
NEW DELHI: With the majority of the country hoping for new and better beginnings, News18 India is all geared up to mark the year-end with its special programming line-up 2021 Shubh Mangal Sawdhaan. As we are bidding adieu to an unprecedented year that taught us to live a new normal, the channel has curated special programming to bring cheer and optimism to its viewers as they enter into the New Year.
Slated for New Year’s Eve, the programming will comprise of shows such as 2020 ki Sabse Badi Mehfil and Lapete Mein Netaji, accompanied by a sensational performance by the popular Haryanvi singer-dancer, Sapna Chowdhry, and stand-up comedy by KK Naikar.
Adding a musical touch to the evening, the show 2020 ki Sabse Badi Mehfil will bring together renowned singers on one platform who will perform 2020 v/s 2021 Jawabi Qawwali along with all the heroes of 2020 such as Sonu Sood and Ravi Kishan to name a few. News18 India will also be hosting the grandest edition of Lapete Mein Netaji with seven poets to bring a fresh perspective on the political climate of the country through sharp sarcasm and humour as they face off against the leaders from all the major political parties. The programming will also feature well-known astrologer such as Sanjay Jumani who will share their unique perspectives on the coming year, new beginnings, and hopes.
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:Â 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.
