News Broadcasting
TiVo introduces TV audience measurement tool
CALIFORNIA: TiVo which creates television services for digital video recorders (DVRs) has announced a new audience measurement tool. The tool will give broadcasters and advertisers the first opportunity to analyse second-by-second specific viewing patterns within television programmes.
An official release informs that the company will for the first time, offer a subscription quarterly report that uses this new measurement capability to report on viewing patterns within primetime programmes. This quarterly report was developed with assistance from global brand communications company Starcom MediaVest Group.
TiVo’s new measurement capabilities mark an expanded effort by the company to leverage features of its electronic service to collect data that will offer the television and advertising industry tools never before available for analysing specific viewing behaviour.
The data used to produce this highly detailed analysis is derived from anonymous and aggregate data collected when TiVo DVRs make a daily phone call to the company’s broadcast centre each day to retrieve and download programming information. This aggregate viewer data can be culled into large samples that can be analysed on a near real-time basis.
TiVo president TiVo Martin J. Yudkovitz said: “Our audience measurement capabilities will offer broadcasters and advertisers an unprecedented, detailed look at how viewers consume programming and advertising. As the leader and pioneer of the DVR experience, we want to embrace the opportunity to help advertisers and broadcasters better understand the current and future impact of DVR so they can adapt content and advertising strategies to this new medium.”
“These new analysis tools can allow TiVo to play a role in assisting broadcasters and advertisers in developing compelling and interesting content for tomorrow’s television audience,” Yudkovitz added.
TiVo can provide data on programmes in any day part, allowing clients to analyse specific viewing patterns during key programmes. These customised reports can be prepared for any programme airing on television, and can pinpoint specific incidents in programming where viewers responded strongly.
As far as the quarterly report is concerned an analysis of the report’s overall findings indicates that programming that created the greatest sense of urgency and immediate desire to watch was most successful at retaining viewers from start to finish and through commercial breaks.
The report also showed “stickiness” of the programmes varied greatly depending on genre. Sitcoms and dramas tended to have the lowest retention and commercial viewing rate. Reality TV, news and event based shows often scored significantly better in their ability to retain viewers in programming and during commercials because more viewers tended to watch these programmes live.
This is a snapshot of key programmes measured and their TiVo commercial viewing.
Programme TCVI
45th Annual Grammy Awards 75
Fear Factor 58
20/20 57
CSI: Miami 46
American Idol 45
Friends 39
Starcom MediaVest group VP and director of emerging contacts Tim Hanlon said:” This report points to two really great challenges for broadcasters and those of us in the advertising industry. We need to help broadcasters develop programming that has a sense of urgency and immediacy so that viewers feel they can’t wait to watch. And we need to develop more compelling content that viewers feel adds to the experience of enjoying these programmes.”
The primetime programming will be sold to industry partners on a subscription basis with updates to data provided quarterly. TiVo is also developing additional audience measurement reports for other day parts. The penetration of DVR technology in US households is growing rapidly.
TiVo is projecting that over one million households will be using its DVR by the end of this year. The company has stated that its time-shifting and commercial avoidance capabilities will challenge programmers and advertisers alike to approach the medium in new, inventive ways.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
