News Broadcasting
Thomson looks to capitalise on Asia media space
MUMBAI: French Electronics and media services company Thomson has outlined a strategic growth map for the next two years.
As far as the media and entertainment sector is concerned the company is looking to broaden the offering to existing clients and expand client base including Asia.
The company is looking to double the number of clients with whom it generates over E25 million in sales. It is also looking to add at least five new revenue-generating activities to its portfolio.
One major change is that the company will no longer manufacture television sets. It will sell its tubes and display business. Instead the group will focus on media technologies like technology for set top boxes. It plans to raise its profile in technology-related debates and industry choices.
It is looking to double revenues in technology from the current E150 million. The core research budget will go up by 50 per cent in 2005 and 2006.
Thomson chairman and CEO Frank Dangeard said, “Our two-year plan is driven by the way in which we see our core markets and client base evolving through 2010. Based on this long-term view, we have defined our 2006 strategic priorities and, in each case, we have clear roadmaps and targets.
“The group has new momentum, reflected in a simple and flexible organisation. By 2006 we will be fully focussed on the media and entertainment industries, have a more diversified spread of activities and a broader client base, and will be uniquely positioned to benefit from the rapid pace of technology change in these industries.”
In the framework of its two year plan, Thomson has significant revenue generating business units which will remain “locomotives” for growth. This includes physical media in the form of film and DVDs.
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.
