News Broadcasting
Viacom consolidates CBS, Paramount operations
MUMBAI: Media conglomerate Viacom has announced the promotion of key executives to new roles at CBS and Paramount Network Television. This will create a new management structure that will transform CBS’ programming operations.
In the reorganisation, CBS Productions, which has been instrumental in the production of virtually every hit programme on CBS, will be merged into Paramount Network Television. The new entity will be based at the Paramount Studios and will keep the Paramount name. However, the CBS Productions brand will still be utilised for certain programmes.
Making the announcement, Viacom co-president and co-COO Leslie Moonves who also serves as CBS chairman said, “We have got the greatest group of assets ever assembled to serve television viewers across all platforms. This reorganisation helps us make the most of that portfolio of properties. The good news is that we’ve got the best people in the business to lead us into the future.”
Nancy Tellem, who has served as CBS Entertainment president has been promoted to the newly-created post of CBS Paramount Network Television Entertainment Group president. She will oversee operations at CBS Entertainment and Paramount Network Television. This includes development, programming, production, legal and business affairs.
In the past she oversaw the development of shows like CSI, Survivor and the comedy Two And A Half Men. Nina Tassler will succeed Tellem as CBS Entertainment president. Tassler was heading drama development for the Network.
In her new post, Tassler will oversee Network programming for prime time, late night and daytime, as well as program development for all genres, including comedy, drama, reality, specials, movies and mini-series.
David Stapf is the president of the new, combined Paramount Network Television unit. Stapf has served as head of current programming at CBS since July 1999,
Moonves added, “Nancy Tellem is one of the very best strategic, business and programming minds in our industry. She is also a peerless manager of people, and one of the most-respected and well-liked executives in this business.
“She has an intuitive understanding of how the creative and business process work together to create success, and has been one of the main factors that has made our turnaround at CBS a reality.”
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.
