News Broadcasting
News18 Network’s Rising Rajasthan to be held in Jaipur
MUMBAI: Rising Rajasthan is being organized by News18 Network today at the Clarks Amer in Jaipur.
The event will have the CM Vasundhara Raje as well as top political leaders speak extensively on the state’s development priorities and various government programmes. The discussion is also likely to focus on the elections in the state that are scheduled for next year and how the current government is likely to approach the same. The event will have several panel discussions with senior ministers including Road and Transport & PWD minister, Yunus Khan; Panchayati Raj and rural development minister, Rajendra Singh Rathore; urban development and housing minister, Shrichand Kriplani; Medical and Health Minister, KalicharanSaraf; Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Gajendra Singh Khimsar and President, State Finance Commission, Dr. Jyoti Kiran.
Rising Rajasthan will also have representation from the opposition with the opening session featuring Dr. CP Joshi, General Secretary, All Indian Congress Committee who will speak on the future of the Congress party and the strategy that it is likely to adopt going forward.
The event will not only facilitate discussions on key political and policy related issues but will also focus on individuals who have been the flagbearers of social change and/or those who have shown exemplary courage in challenging situations. Panelists including IPS, SarojKumari; Social Activist, Mridula Bhasin; Former Zila Pramukh, Pali, Khushveer Singh and Social Activist Hema Shah will speak of transformational initiatives that have had a huge impact on society at large.
A session featuring inspiring stories of heroism will have Colonel Ram Singh (A 100-year old brave soldier and founder of 15 Kumaon Regiment); NaikDigendra Kumar (Winner of MahaVir Chakra; fought in Kargil War in 1999, captured Tololing from Pakistan and hoisted the Tricolor Flag of India); Major DeepikaRathore (The First Woman to climb Mount Everest twice) and CRPF Commandant Chetan Cheetah (who was shot 9 times during an encounter with terrorists in Kashmir) speak about their life and experiences.
The event will end with a key note address by and a special interaction with chief minister Vasundhara Raje who will speak about her government’s approach to development, governance and areas of priority. The CM will also felicitate widows of soldiers who attained martyrdom during the Kargil War.
ETV News Network group editor Rajesh Raina said that “The Rising Series is a platform from News18 Network which has gathered tremendous momentum over the past few months. This event facilitates engagement with top state leaders from across the political spectrum on critical issues pertaining to growth of the State. With the State elections scheduled to happen next year in Rajasthan – ‘Rising Rajasthan’ will provide an ideal platform to discuss and debate issues that will form the core of the political discourse in the State.”
Adding to the above A + E Networks | TV18,Network 18 president strategy, product and alliances managing director Avinash Kaul said, “We are extremely excited about the Rising Rajasthan event. For us as a Network, Rajasthan is an extremely important market especially given the fact that ETV Rajasthan is the state’s No. 1 news channel. Our programming has always been about our viewers and their interests. Rising Rajasthan will not only raise issues of development but will, on the solemn occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, also remember those brave sons of the state who made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation during the Kargil War.”
The event will be covered on ETV Rajasthan, News18 India and CNN-News18 starting 5pm
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.
