News Broadcasting
TV news channels viewer share jumps
MUMBAI: The war may have delivered death and destruction to Iraq, but it certainly came as good news for the news channels. Total TV news viewership has gone up significantly these past few weeks and it has come at a time when new news channels are sprouting all over the place.
And what must be good news for the new news channels is that while there has been some amount of cannibalisation of audience share, more significant has been the increase in the time spent watching the news which has led to viewership jumps for all channels.
Data released by TAM Media that surveyed males 15 years and above across north and west India (including Hyderabad) for a six-week period between 23 February and 5 April threw up some interesting findings. Time (in minutes) spent in a week watching TV news went up from 51 minutes in week one of the survey, shot up to 105 in week four (when the US-led invasion of Iraq commenced) and stabilised at 91 minutes by week six.
Lead news channel Aaj Tak’s total viewership share went up from 2.71 to 5.09, Zee News from 1.21 to 2.13 and Star News from 0.45 to 1.4.
CNN SHOWS LARGEST GAIN, GOES PAST BBC
In terms of sheer jump though it was CNN that had the biggest reason to celebrate. In what is a first for the American channel, it has gone ahead of the Beebs in India. CNN leapt from 0.04 to 0.51 while the BBC increased its viewership from 0.12 to 0.45.
STAR NEWS, SAHARA SAMAY MAKE AN IMPACT
As regards TV news audience share, the data thrown up in week 6 (30 march to 5 April) which is when the new Star News became functional, as also the addition of Sahara Samay to the equation, has had its impact. Aaj Tak’s TV news audience share has dipped from 59 to 51 per cent and Zee News from 26 to 21 per cent. The gainers have been Star News (10 to 14 per cent) and Sahara Samay – 0 to 4 per cent.
CNN has gone up from 1 to 5 per cent, ahead of BBC which rose only a single percentage point from 3 to 4 per cent.
All things considered though Sahara Samay’s has been the most incredible story thus far. It doesn’t have the high-profile presenters that Prannoy Roy’s NDTV boasts, nor the backing of a News Corp and the experience of Fox News that Star News enjoys. But it is certainly making its mark. And if it continues the way it has started, Sahara Samay could well turn out to be the real success story in this round of news channel sparring.
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.
