News Broadcasting
Van Toffler is MTV US Networks Group president
MUMBAI: MTV Networks US chairman and CEO Judy McGrath has announced key executive appointments.
Van Toffler who was formerly MTV, MTV2 and MTV Films president is now MTV Networks Group president.
He is now responsible for MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT and the upcoming gay channel Logo. Brian Graden is Logo’s president. Graden is also MTV Networks Music Group president. He reports to Toffler. Graden will also serve as a creative liaison for MTV’s international operations, working with them on development efforts.
Larry Divney who was Comedy Central’s president returns to Viacom as MTV Networks ad sales COO.
McGrath added, “Van Toffler is one of the few executives who lives successfully and comfortably in the music, television, film and business worlds. His passion for our culture helps us maintain the rich creative mix the audience has come to expect from all things MTV.
“Under Van’s leadership MTV has achieved record ratings and revenue, MTV2 is enjoying tremendous growth as an emerging brand, and MTV Films has a great slate ahead.”
Talking about Logo McGrath said, “I’m thrilled to tap into Brian’s creative strength for Logo — and to extend his programming expertise to CMT and our international channels, as well. Brian has brought innovation and an unprecedented number of hits to MTV.
“He was instrumental in the reinvention of VH1, which has never been hotter, and he’s already played a key role in the development process at Logo. With Brian at the helm, I am confident that Logo will be successful and will have an authentic voice that will resonate with its audience.”
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.
