News Broadcasting
Stephanie Flanders is BBC News’ economics editor
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC has announced that Stephanie Flanders will be the economics editor for BBC News in early April following Evan Davis’ appointment to Today on BBC Radio 4.
Flanders is a former speech writer and senior adviser to the US Treasury, where she worked on the management of emerging market financial crises along with other global economic issues from 1997 to 2001.
Flanders said, “Evan is unique – and not an act that any sensible person would want to follow. But then nor is BBC Economics Editor a job that you turn down. I’m thrilled. And I am almost as tall as him, which helps.”
BBC News editor of the Economics and Business Centre Jeremy Hillman said, “Stephanie has a formidable track record as an economist and journalist. She will bring huge depth and insight to the role at a time of significant global and domestic economic uncertainty. She will also make a strong addition to the team of senior BBC editors, and play a central role in leading and shaping the BBC’s coverage across the UK and across the globe.”
BBC News director Helen Boaden said, “Stephanie has a terrific track record and will build on her reputation at Newsnight for bringing clarity, authority and wry humour to this important but difficult area.”
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.
