News Broadcasting
TV news received massive boost during war: ITC survey
MUMBAI: Audiences for news programmes on television received a massive boost during the Iraq War, according to a survey released yesterday by the Independent Television Commission (ITC).
The report aptly called Conflict Around the Clock, confirmed that the Iraq war is the most media-intensive conflict in history.
According to a company release, the ITC research stated that television was the main source of international news for 67 per cent of people world over, compared with 16 per cent for newspapers, 13 per cent for radio and 1 per cent for the Internet.
The survey made some interesting observations:
* It pointed out that multichannel viewers, traditionally less likely to watch news programmes, increased viewing by 145 per cent – from 118 minutes per week to 289 minutes per week – in the first week of the Iraq war.
* Viewing in terrestrial-only homes increased by 84 per cent – from 171 minutes to 315 per week.
* However, though 77 per cent viewers surveyed said they were interested in the war coverage, 61 per cent thought there was too much of it.
Excessive coverage?
Over a third of the people surveyed by the ITC had reservations about going to war without the United Nations’ support or exploring diplomatic avenues more fully. And the survey noted that most of these viewers considered the amount of TV coverage excessive. These viewers were also more likely to consider the coverage unbalanced.
As a whole, about 52 per cent considered the TV coverage to be balanced, compared with 62 per cent saying the same for radio. Newspapers were seen as being less balanced. 53 per cent considered the UK daily The Sun to be biased in favour of the war.
The majority of viewers (42 per cent) felt that the UK and US governments were being as honest, with information only withheld when there was a legitimate security reason, while 32 per cent thought that information was being censored.
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.
