News Broadcasting
CNN launches new series ‘Saved by the Future’ with leading names in science and technology exploring the innovations that will shape our future
This month, CNN launches ‘Saved by the Future’, a brand-new cross-platform series in which some of the biggest names in science and technology spotlight breakthrough innovations in mobility, automation, energy, sustainability and artificial intelligence that could transform our lives in decades to come.
In the first of three 30-minute shows, host Nicki Shields guides conversations with Bill Nye, Fabien Cousteau and Kathy Sullivan, who transport us to a world of future possibilities that once seemed like mere science fiction, in everything from mobility in space to electric drones that can predict the weather.
Shields first speaks with TV Star “The Science Guy”, climate change advocate and social media sensation Bill Nye about the future of space exploration. Nye is CEO of the Planetary Society, which successfully launched its LightSail 2 spacecraft in 2019. The spacecraft is powered by solar winds from the sun, meaning by design, it will never run out of fuel. Nye believes this breakthrough will be the future of sustainable space travel, and discusses the domino effect this science has had on the building blocks for future technology.
For Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of renowned explorer Jacques Cousteau, the future of ocean exploration rests on advancements in automation and underwater mobility. In 2014, Cousteau and his crew spent 31 days living under the ocean in an underwater habitat known as ‘Aquarius’ – and reveals that an even bigger version, dubbed Project Proteus, is already in the works. We explore the impact such developments could have upon humankind’s understanding of our own oceans.
Finally, Shields speaks with scientist and former NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan, who earlier this year became the only person who has both walked in space and visited the deepest known point in the ocean. Sullivan explains to CNN that our oceans are in need of a major technological upgrade: while satellites in space are able to communicate a snapshot of the weather on earth, a networked ocean blanketed with sensors could deliver an extended forecast – helping us accurately understand the state of our earth months, even years, in advance.
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.
