News Broadcasting
NewsX editor-in-chief Jehangir Pocha passes away
MUMBAI: The pressure-filled TV news business has had another casualty. Jehangir Pocha, the co-promoter of IndiMedia Pvt Ltd, which earlier owned the NewsX channel, died earlier this morning in Gurgaon following a cardiac arrest.
Pocha came into the limelight after he worked out a rescue package to bail out the channel in 2009 along with Nai Duniya CEO Vinay Chhajlani. Launched originally by the eighties poster boy of television – Peter Mukerjea – as part of the INX Media group, it had fallen up on troubled times soon after its launch in 2008. Pocha was editor in chief at BusinessWorld maagazine when he partnered with Chhajlani.
NewsX continued, but desperately needed cash to run and Pocha and Chhajlani found a buyer in the Kartikeya Sharma owned Information TV (part of the ITV Group) and its associates in mid-2012. Even as Chhajlani exited, Pocha continued as the channel’s editor in chief.
Born in Mumbai, Pocha did his Bachelors in Economics in 1990, followed by an MBA in Marketing in 1992 from the SP Jain Institute, Mumbai University. Later, he also did his Masters in Public Administration, Media and foreign policy from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
Pocha was The Boston Globe’s Beijing-based China correspondent from 2003-2007. Prior to that he spent about a decade in the IT industry, holding management positions with start-ups and Fortune 500 companies in the US and Singapore.
His passing away has been mourned by many. Amomg them the prime minister Narendra Modi who said: “I am shocked and saddened to hear about Jehangir Pocha’s demise. I pay my condolence to his family in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace.”
The Broadcast Editors’ Association sent out a statement condoling his sad demise: “It is big loss to the world of TV journalism. Jehangir was a dear colleague of ours and was a guiding force in BEA’s activities.”
Former IBN18 editor in chief Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted, “Deep condolences to family of Jehangir Pocha. Life is transient, but was lived well. RIP”
Anupam Kher’s tweet: “Can’t believe that @JehangirPocha is no more. Just spoke to him few days back. One of the best journalists & human beings. So so sad. RIP”
Senior news TV journalist Dibang tweeted: “Oh suddenly @JehangirPocha passes away #RIP Life is transient, can end suddenly; we plan for future, now is the only moment we have: #Kabir
Colors TV CEO Raj Nayak had this to say in his tweet: “A friend who tweeted 10 hrs ago, who came to meet me few days back to discuss his future plans is suddenly no more @JehangirPocha RIP #Life“
Journalist and digital entrepreneur Govind Ethiraj tweeted “RIP wonderful guy, India’s best China journalist, great writer.”
The soft spoken Pocha’s tweeted late last night: “Hurrying Home…”
Pocha’s tweet was in response to a news clipping that he had attached with it. It referred to a High court judgement stating that “constantly reaching home late from work without informing your wife amounts to cruelty. “
He is survived by his wife Ranjana and twins.
RIP! Jehangir.
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.
