News Broadcasting
Zee News storms into no 2 position in BARC week 50’25 ratings
NOIDA: Zee News has mounted its sharpest comeback in nearly six years, vaulting into the top ranks of Hindi news with a bruising performance in BARC Week 50’25, driven by rural strength and free-to-air heft.
According to BARC India data (HSM | all 15 plus | 06:00–24:00 hours), the channel emerged as the second most-watched Hindi news outlet nationally, clocking a reach of 50.8 million viewers and signalling renewed traction after years in the middle order.
The real story, however, lies beyond urban pay homes. In HSM rural markets, Zee News ranked no 1 among NCCS all 15 plus audiences, cornering a 12.2 per cent market share and reaching 17.6 million viewers. On the free platform, it extended its lead with a 12.7 per cent share and a reach of 15 million, underlining the enduring power of FTA news in mass India.
Regionally, the channel topped the charts in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, posting a 13.5 per cent share and consolidating its grip on the Hindi heartland, still the decisive battleground for television news.
The surge has also lifted Zee Media Corporation Limited’s overall news portfolio, strengthening cumulative reach and time spent amid an increasingly fragmented broadcast market.
Executives at the network frame the performance not as a one-week blip but as the payoff from a sustained editorial reset: sharper storytelling, heavier on-ground reporting and a renewed pitch for viewer trust. In a genre addicted to spikes and crashes, Zee News’ week 50 showing suggests momentum with muscle behind it.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
