News Broadcasting
News18 Kannada launches Agenda18 – A platform for political ideas and public engagement
Mumbai: News18 Kannada announces the launch of its newest on-ground show ‘Agenda18’. News18 Kannada editor Hariprasad will host the show providing a platform for strong political ideas and public participation.
The program is designed to create a distinctive environment where representatives from every political party, together with their supporters, will engage daily with the general public. By fostering thought-provoking debates and discussions, the show will concentrate on significant topics, the electoral procedure, and various public issues, positioning itself as a crucial platform for shaping public opinion.
Hariprasad, renowned for his sharp analysis and thorough journalism, will serve as the voice of the public, guaranteeing that all perspectives are accurately presented and discussed. The program will take place across various cities, including Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Shivamogga, Kalaburagi, and Belagavi, offering the audience a comprehensive examination of the electoral process and a more profound insight into the candidates’ plans for the state’s 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.
