News Broadcasting
Relive lives of renowned Hindi poets with ‘Mahakavi’ on ABP News
MUMBAI: ABP News is launching its all new of its kind primetime show “Mahakavi” from 5 November. ABP News will pay tribute to legendary Indian poets who have made a prominent place for Hindi poetry in the world of literature through its all new one of its kind show ‘MAHAKAVI’. Mahakavi is an effort to bring richness of literary heritage on Indian Television for the 1st time ever.
The programme will be anchored by Kumar Vishwas.
Hindi Poetry is the oldest form of literature and has a rich written and oral tradition. Through times, we have learnt that poetry is not just meant for entertainment in royal courts but carry the strength to move mountains, wage wars and much more. India has a legacy of poets renowned across the globe. Their contributions range in various genres like Shringar (love), Karun (pathos), Veer (heroic), Hasya (comic) amongst many. Some of the outstanding works were commonly recited during Indian independence movements spreading valour and courage.
ABP News will pay tribute to such legendry Indian poets who have made a prominent place for Hindi poetry in the world of literature through its all new one of its kind show ‘MAHAKAVI’. Mahakavi is an effort to bring richness of literary heritage on Indian Television for the 1st time ever. An in-depth series of 10 episodes will familiarize old and new generation with some of the most interesting aspects of our favorite poets. Anchored by an internationally renowned and celebrated Hindi poet Kumar Vishwas, each episode of the series would encapsulate the life and works of great Indian poets like Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, Dushyant Kumar, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Harivansh Rai Bacchan, Sudama Pandey Dhumil and many more. Kumar Vishwas will not only anchor the series but also recite and sing selected popular poems of the chosen Hindi poets. This weekly series will debut on ABP News from 5th Nov, every Sat-Sun at 10PM.
Dr. Kumar Vishwas said “Most people nowadays forget Hindi poetry right after their basic education. Dinkar, Nirala, Premchand become mere names to them. In my performances across the world, I also recite poetries of famous Indian poets apart from my own. I see great enthusiasm amongst people to hear the great collection of such incredible poets. The series ‘Mahakavi’ by ABP News will show the known and unknown part of the lives of famous Hindi poets which will not only sate the need of Hindi poetry for millions but also be a tribute to Hindi language. I am sure the series will be loved by all.”
“At ANN, we are committed to keep consumer ahead all the time by bringing innovative programming ideas. Mahakavi is another milestone in this direction backed by extensive content research and high-end production quality. Mahakavi is an effort to bring richness of literary heritage on Indian Television for the 1st time ever. The untold stories of renowned Hindi poets will certainly excite viewers and partners” says Ashok Venkatramani, CEO, ABP News Network
Milind Khandekar, Managing Editor of ABP News, said, “At ABP News, we believe in continuous innovation. This has previously been proved by shows like ‘Pradhanmantri’ and ‘Ramrajya’. Our ongoing show Bharatvarsh is another benchmark in innovation. Keeping our belief intact, we are launching ‘Mahakavi’ that embarks on a journey into the lives of eminent Hindi poets who have achieved prominence through their phenomenal work in Hindi literature across the globe.”
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.
