News Broadcasting
Shutters down on Al-Jazeera America; AJ-English to expand digital ops in US
MUMBAI: After three years of financial struggles, Al Jazeera America (AJAM) will down the shutters on its cable TV and digital operations by 30 April, 2016.
The decision by the AJAM board was driven by the fact that its business model was simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges in the US media marketplace.
The closure of the US channel will be accompanied by an expansion of its existing worldwide digital services into the US to broaden its multi-platform presence.
The expanded digital platform will augment the Network’s current digital offerings, including AJ+, which has achieved more than two billion online video views since its inception in September 2014.
“As audiences increasingly turn to multiple platforms, including mobile devices, for news and information, this expansion will allow US and non-US consumers alike to access the network’s journalism and content wherever and whenever they want. By expanding its digital content and distribution services to now include the US, the network will be better positioned to innovate and compete in an overwhelmingly digital world to serve today’s 24-hour digitally focused audience,” the Al Jazeera Media Network said in a statement.
Al Jazeera America CEO Al Anstey said, “I have witnessed and worked alongside some of the most talented people any organisation could wish for. Since its launch in 2013, the work done by the team at Al Jazeera America has been recognised with nearly every major award an American news organisation can receive. I greatly respect the unrivalled commitment and excellent work of our team, which has created great journalism. We have increasingly set ourselves apart from all the rest, and the achievements of the past two-and-a-half years should be a source of immense pride for everyone.”
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.
