News Broadcasting
Sony lining up hit list for 2001
Sony Entertainment Television, which has managed to successfully hold on to its number two slot in the face of Star Television’s Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) juggernaut, has a ‘killer’ slew of exciting programmes lined up for 2001, according to the ever hyper Rekha Nigam, SET’s head of programming. The shows are expected to be launched on the back of Jeeto Chapper Phaad Ke (JCPK), the ‘gaming experience’ that Nigam is confident will take some of the sheen off KBC.
Indiantelevision.com managed to catch up with her as she waited for superstar Govinda, who was running late, to turn up for his JCPK rehearsal.
Nigam had no definite take on what the public could expect from the Sony stable in the coming months but said a number of soaps, comedies and horror shows were in various stages of development. On JCKP, however, she was more forthcoming. The show will be a totally fun experience for all involved, she asserted. The total package, rather than purely the money angle is what would hook the viewers, she said. Speaking of money, Nigam refused to put a figure to what is the deal that has been worked out with Govinda. However, according to reliable sources, the star has been paid Rs10 million as signing amount and the total package is between Rs80 million and Rs120 million.
On a more personal note, Nigam sees the three months she has been aboard the Sony bandwagon as one great rollercoaster joyride. She certainly seems to be enjoying taking on Star and Zee Television Network at their own game.
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.
