News Broadcasting
News18 Tamil Nadu presents Sigaram Awards 2023 to recognise the excellence in Puducherry
Mumbai: News18 Tamil Nadu ‘Sigaram Awards’ continue to demonstrate the commitment and dedication of individuals who have had a positive influence on Puducherry and have contributed to the development of the region for the better. The 4th Edition of the News18 Tamil Nadu ‘Sigaram Awards’, a prestigious event recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations in Puducherry, took place on 25 August at the Anandha Inn, Puducherry. This unique platform celebrates the relentless efforts and significant contributions that have strengthened the foundation of the state, making it a model of excellence.
The distinguished chief guests for this remarkable evening were Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Hon’ble Governor of Telangana and Lt. Hon’ble Governor of Puducherry, along with Thiru. N. Rangaswamy, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Puducherry. Their presence enhanced the grandeur of the event, and both the awardees and guests were motivated by their words of encouragement.
The winners of the News18 Tamil Nadu Sigaram Awards 2023 are: Best Social Worker – Bhubesh Guptha; Promising Personality (Agriculture): Sundhar; Best School – Kalmandapam Govt Hr Sec School; Best Teacher (Primary) – Senthil Vadivu, Govt Middle School; Best Teacher (Secondary) – Baskara Rasu, Govt School; Best Doctor – Dr Muthukumaran; Best Sports Person (Weight Lifting) – Vishal; Best Sports Person (Shot Put): Loheetha; Tamil Literature Award: Godhandaraman; Lifetime Achievement Award: Villiyanur N Venkatesan; Excellence in Higher Education: School of Allied Health Sciences, VMRF-DU, Pondicherry; Upcoming Best Business Entrepreneur: 5k Car Care.
Tune into News18 Tamil Nadu to celebrate the outstanding contributions of these exemplary individuals and organizations on 9 September from 12:00 am to 1:00 pm, and on 10 September from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.
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.
