News Broadcasting
News18 India announces special programming for Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections
MUMBAI: After BJP’s historic win in the recently held General Elections, states of Maharashtra and Haryana will witness the battle for political supremacy. As the political parties gear-up once again for a fierce contest, News18 India has lined-up extensive programming to bring to its viewers unparalleled access and insights into these assembly elections.
Continuing the commitment of bringing compelling yet incisive reportage through a wide array of diverse formats, News18 India will present the election programming under the umbrella branding ‘Sabse Bada Dangal’. Comprising of comprehensive election special bulletins, audience based debate shows, poll of polls and interviews of the biggest newsmakers along with special editions of popular shows such as Bhaiyaji Kahin and Lapete Mein Netaji, the channel will showcase not only a detailed analysis but also an overall view of the political scenario in these states.
Through Bhaiyaji Kahin, renowned journalist Prateek Trivedi, will travel to key constituencies in the election-bound states providing a unique platform to connect voters and local leaders, while Lapete Mein Netaji will go outside the studio to bring politicians, poets and voters together on one platform to add a sharp sense of satire and humor to the political discourse. The exhaustive programming will also cover polling and counting days extensively bringing the latest trends and fastest & most accurate updates to the viewers.
Supported by a team of experienced anchors, on-ground reporters and eminent experts, News18 India will offer viewers unmatched coverage of the assembly elections. The channel will follow and present key developments, campaigns of major parties and politicians, trends, results and government formation to keep viewers abreast of minute-to-minute developments.
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.
