News Broadcasting
Nielsen launching new New York ratings system Thursday
MUMBAI: Media research giant Nielsen has scheduled their New York launch of the controversial modified television ratings system for Thursday, 3 May. The launch, which was earlier scheduled for 8 April, got postponed after it encountered harsh criticism from various minority groups.
Nielsen has been facing flak over the new system which has people meters replacing the paper diaries Nielsen has provided to viewers in local markets since 1950, as well as set-top boxes that are not as technically sophisticated.
Nielsen has now attempted to mellow the growing criticism by promising to keep its old measurement system of hand-written diaries and older electronic gauges running for another three months in addition to its new “people meter” system, which it will launch Thursday.
But even that move has not gone down well with Hispanic groups such as the Hispanic broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. which has panned the compromise as a confusing move that would still exaggerate English-language viewing.
“Running both systems will confuse advertisers and the public, waste time and money with duplicative and conflicting data, and debase the value of Nielsen research,” observed a statement from the broadcaster.
The point critics have been making is that people meters undercount minority audiences, cutting ratings for minority-focused shows. The old system of measuring detailed local viewer habits through pen-and-paper diaries was used during the key “sweeps” periods of ratings races and a few other times in major markets.
In their turn, Nielsen has been alleging that the whole controversy has been raked up by media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Ltd. whose Fox television stations in cities like New York and Los Angeles stand to lose local ratings through the more accurate people meters. News Corp and a coalition of civil rights activists have been demanding an independent review to verify the new system’s accuracy and are seeking to block the new system until then.
Meanwhile, the television committee of the Media Relations Council, an industry group, has said that it had declined to endorse the system. Nielsen claims that the group has only delayed their approval for the system.
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.
