News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 announces special programming line-up for state assembly elections 2021
MUMBAI: As the assembly elections in the states of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union territory of Puducherry draw near, CNN-News18 has lined-up an array of in-depth yet engaging programming. Titled ‘Battle for the States’, the channel that will delve into all aspects of the assembly elections while covering the grueling campaigns and fierce competition amongst the major political parties.
With an aim to keep the viewers apprised of every single political development in the states leading up to the elections, the channel has lined up non-stop programming capturing the ground realities of every state. With diverse formats and data driven approach, CNN-News18 will present an exclusive and comprehensive poll of polls, audience-based debate shows and interviews of the biggest newsmakers, catching the pulse of the electorates, and anticipating the changes the upcoming government will bring in the national politics. Further, the power-packed programming will also cover polling day, exit poll, and counting day extensively, bringing fastest and most accurate updates to the viewers.
Bringing a seamless blend of technology and creativity, CNN-News18 will deep dive into data and provide an unparalleled experience to the viewers. The channel has deployed election analytic tool Magic Wall and ELEX-A, to capture all the relevant data pertaining to voting by the electorate, analysing it and applying algorithms to render a virtual display of a map with factual results.
The special line-up of programming will be driven by the channel’s formidable team of editorial experts led by veteran anchors and journalists such as Zakka Jacob, Managing Editor, Anand Narasimhan, Executive Editor, Marya Shakil, Political Editor, Shreya Dhoundial, Senior Editor, Pallavi Ghosh, Senior Editor, Politics, and Arunima, Deputy Editor who will offer viewers superior coverage of the assembly elections. Supported by a team of on-ground reporters and eminent experts, CNN-News18 will offer viewers unmatched reportage of these crucial state elections from ground zero.
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.
