News Broadcasting
Study sheds light on US TV viewing habits
MUMBAI: Americans love TV. We all know that. But a study commissioned by the US labour department shows us how desperately they have become addicted to TV. The survey revealed that folks in Bush country spent half of their leisure time of 5.1 hours daily staying glued to the idiot box.
What’s more Americans are also spending a lot of time on their backs in bed – fast asleep. The survey states that the average American spent 8.6 hours a day sleeping in 2003.
And what about work? Lo behold, Americans work for only 3.7 hours daily.
Is there a lesson that a large part of the populace in Asia – which slogs from morning to evening but yet has a lower standard of living- has to learn from these stats ? Does watching TV and sleeping a lot lead to riches like in a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale? Of course not, that’s meant to be a joke.
The US study included everyone from working parents with almost no free time to retirees and teenagers. This helps explain why this average day does not reflect anyone’s actual day.
Not surprisingly working parents aged 25-54 had just 2.6 hours to spend on leisure.The telephone survey covered 21,000 people over the age of 15 and was conducted throughout 2003.
Respondents were asked to recount 24 hours of activity from the previous day. When not watching the idot box the typical American spent 41 minutes socialising, 22 minutes reading, 20 minutes on sports or recreation, 20 minutes relaxing and thinking and 17 minutes playing games often on the computer.
American men typically had more leisure than women (can we see some I-told-you scowls on the faces of readers who are women). Men lazed around for 5.4 hours as compared to women’s 4.8 hours.One thing that has to be borne in mind is that the study only considered respondents’ primary activity. For instance if a person watched television while ironing clothes or eating dinner, only one activity was counted.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
