News Broadcasting
Vijay Rawat joins NDTV as executive editor, Hindi digital
NEW DELHI: Vijay Rawat has begun a new chapter in his media career, joining NDTV as executive editor for its Hindi digital operations.
In his new role, Rawat will head NDTV’s Hindi website, strengthening the network’s digital news push. He will be based in the Hindi digital newsroom and will report to Santosh Kumar, Senior Managing Editor, NDTV Hindi Digital.
Rawat brings with him over two decades of newsroom experience, spanning print and digital journalism. He recently concluded a more than nine-year stint with the India Today Group, where he served as executive editor of aajtak.in. His last working day with the group was January 21.
Originally from Gwalior, Rawat brings over 25 years of experience spanning print and digital journalism. He began his career as a staff reporter with Dainik Jagran in Gwalior, before moving on to key editorial roles across prominent Hindi publications such as Haribhoomi, Amar Ujala and Dainik Jagran, working across both reporting and desk functions.
In 2008, he became part of the launch team for Network18’s Hindi digital platform IBNKhabar, now News18 India, where he spent over eight years and rose from copy editor to news editor. He later joined Aaj Tak Digital in 2016 as Assistant Editor, eventually becoming a key part of the India Today Group’s Hindi digital leadership.
Academically, Rawat holds a master’s degree in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, along with a postgraduate diploma in journalism from Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra.
With Rawat at the helm of its Hindi digital newsroom, NDTV is looking to sharpen its editorial edge and deepen its connection with Hindi news audiences in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
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: 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.
