News Broadcasting
News18 Network lines up extensive programming for the foundation laying of Ayodhya Ram Mandir
NEW DELHI: News18 Network has announced extensive programming, including comprehensive mythology-based shows, debates, shows on the history of Ayodhya, stories around important places and temples in the city, and special segments on the structure of the proposed temple, for the foundation laying of Ram Mandir. All channels of the Network will broadcast this special line-up of shows, as regional channels also explore specific local myths and stories associated with Lord Ram, it shared in a press statement.
The Network’s national Hindi news channel, News18 India will lead the reportage with debates, shows with renowned poets and singers, as well as live programming from the ground zero. Under the umbrella branding of ‘Ram Lala Hum Aayenge’, News18 India has lined-up interactive shows fronted by the channel’s popular anchor Bhaiyaji, Prateek Trivedi, special shows involving devotional music rendered by the likes of Anup Jalota, Gopal Sharma, Kaushlendra Sharma, Reghvendra Sharma, Shukdev Sharma and Maithili Thakur. Additionally, a special session of poetry dedicated to Lord Ram and the grand temple with renowned poets such as Sudeep Bhola, Gaurav Chauhan, Chirag Jain, Kavita Tiwari, and Aman Akshar to name a few, will form the core of the programming offered by the channel. The channel will also do exclusive discussions with top political figures and Union Ministers including Ram Madhav, Prakash Javadekar and Subramanian Swamy.
News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand will also be carrying extensive programming on this historic event. A number of special shows will include discussions and sessions with saints, features on the material to be used in the construction of the Ram Temple, interviews, and shows on the key people behind the Ram Mandir movement. The special reportage will also feature live coverage from ground zero highlighting various rituals and ceremonies leading up to the actual foundation laying.
Other channels from the Network, both Hindi as well as other regional language channels, will also carry special programming leading up to 5th August, the day of the actual ceremony.
On the auspicious day of the Bhoomi Poojan itself, News18 Network will telecast live from Ayodhya and will extensively cover the foundation laying ceremony by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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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.
