News Broadcasting
Wayne Garvie is BBC Worldwide director content, production
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide has announced the appointment of BBC Head of Entertainment Group, Wayne Garvie, as its new director content, production. Wayne will take over responsibility for a number of business activities from BBC Worldwide deputy CEO, Mike Phillips, who retires at the end of March 2006.
Garvie will assume responsibility for securing and producing content for the company, including managing vital investment relationships with BBC Production and with Independents. He will also drive the development of an international production and format business for BBC Worldwide.
BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “In a world where TV channels are proliferating and technology is constantly delivering new ways for people to access media, the key competitive advantage for BBC Worldwide will continue to be great content. Wayne’s track record in producing and commissioning outstanding shows, plus his experience in developing these for international markets, make him the perfect candidate for this role. We are delighted to welcome him to BBC Worldwide at a hugely exciting time for the company as we expand into digital formats and new markets worldwide.”
Wayne has been the head of BBC’s entertainment group for four years. In that time, the department has been transformed, with a new generation of creative leaders and a host of new shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Dragons’ Den and The House of Tiny Tearaways. In addition shows like The Weakest Link, A Question of Sport, Mastermind which he was involved with continue to flourish.
Garvie said, “I have enjoyed four wonderful years as the head of entertainment, but this is one challenge that I couldn’t resist. Television is now truly a global business and I aim to ensure that the best of British content and formats gets the global exposure and rewards our producers deserve.”
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.
