News Broadcasting
NRI group to launch terrestrial movie channel in Africa
MUMBAI: Channel 2 Group Corporation in a joint venture with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) has announced its plans to launch a 24 hour movie channel Channel 2 Movies.
With this new initiative, the Channel 2 Group Corp. attempts to expand the terrestrial broadcast operations across Africa. It will incorporate a mix of the latest entertainment from Hollywood and Bollywood.
According to an official release, the channel finds it “imperative to address the targeted audience with customized entertainment options.”
Soaps like Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and Kyun Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, with English subtitles are said to be popular amongst African viewers.
Channel 2 also claims to have a strong network with the Indian Film Industry and has signed a strategic alliance with Kenya Film Commission (KFC). With support from the government, Kenya now opens its doors to the Indian Film Industry.
The Channel 2 Group Corporation Chairperson Ajay Sethi said, “Channel 2 will be the first terrestrial unique movie channel in Africa, and will bring to its viewers the very latest in movie and entertainment mix. Channel 2 shall be expanded to other African countries on terrestrial platforms and has already entered into telecast agreement with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation on the national channel. Our expertise in this field is well established, and with this launch will further strengthen the group’s foothold in Africa.”
“The total population of Kenya is 40 million, of which KBC already commands an 85 per cent viewership. KBC is a national broadcaster with its strong nationwide infrastructure adding great value to the joint venture and making it a commercially viable project. We expect that the dearth of terrestrial movie channels in Africa will turn Channel 2 into a hugely popular and much desired movie channel.”
He added, “The channel has been stylized keeping African sensitivities in mind, so the look and feel of the channel will be very African. Channel 2 Movies not only promises its viewers premium quality entertainment, but also provides multinationals and other corporations a world class media vehicle to advertise their wares on.”
Channel 2 will be hosting the IIFA post award party on the 16 June 2006 at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai. Kenya Film Commission CEO Wachira Waruru will be present at the awards, informs the release.
In addition, another associate company of the Channel 2 Group Corp., UAE’s Channel 729, has already signed a telecast agreement with KBC, whereby KBC has broadcasted hours of Channel 729 free to air on its terrestrial channel to its viewers, adds the release.
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.
