News Broadcasting
Radio Mirchi goes on air in Bangalore
MUMBAI/ BANGALORE: Following a trial period of one week, Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL) radio brand — Radio Mirchi formally went on-air in Bangalore today. Radio Mirchi 95 FM is the second 24 hour FM radio station to go on-air in Bangalore.
The first FM radio station in the city is Music Broadcast Pvt LTD Radio City. Radio Mirchi is the first brand to go on air in the phase II FM, within three months after completion of the Phase II bidding.
The information & broadcasting had earlier this year awarded 280 licences to 36 private operators for running FM radio stations in 91 cities.
Speaking on the potential of FM radio to revolutionise media consumption, ENIL CEO and MD AP Parigi said “Radio’s strength is its immense flexibility, adaptability and suitability for a modern and active life. It is the best companion. Thus our aim is to deliver programmes that are relevant to the people of Bangalore. This is a station for the people of Bangalore – playing their music and speaking their language.”
He further added that “We expect the Mirchi style of programming of Radio Mirchi to revitalise the position of radio in Bangalore, just the way we have been able to win the loyalty of listeners in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and other cities.”
The station is positioned as a sunshine channel, with a baseline which reads “It’s Hot” With round the clock programming, Radio Mirchi will bring in contemporary music, city happenings, Bollywood gossip, special interviews, exclusive film promotional tie-ups and lots more. 24 hours hit Hindi music is what Radio Mirchi promises to deliver to its listeners, informs an official release.
Radio Mirchi 93.3 FM will broadcast a diverse mix of shows including Hello Bangalore, a charged up breakfast show to say hello! to a bright new day; Bombat Bhama, a gossip based show for the housewives; Bitti Ticket, for the latest gossip from the films, an afternoon show for the students; Chill Maadi, a chilled out evening drive time gaming show; Mirchi Talkies for retro music and Dr. Love, to handle teenager love problems.
Moreover, the station uses the ‘best of class’ transmission and studio equipment to broadcast crystal clear stereophonic sound to its listeners.
ENIL had launched its first radio station in the city of Indore in October 2001. At present Radio Mirchi is operational in 10 cities which includes Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad and Pune.
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.
