News Broadcasting
TIMES NOW and MIRROR NOW announce special programming line-up for upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections 2020
As the race to power heats up with the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020, Times Network's best in class news channels, TIMES NOW and Mirror NOW announce an unmatched programming line-up, offering viewers the most extensive coverage of the upcoming elections.
Bringing a holistic news watching experience this election season, Times NOW, India’s leading English News channel and election news headquarters will lead the reportage under ‘Mandate 2020 – Battleground Bihar’. With an engaging programming line-up, TIMES NOW promises to make the election coverage more exciting and captivating for its viewers.
1. Pre-Poll Surveys: In association with C-VOTER, TIMES NOW is broadcasting an Opinion Poll that seeks to capture the Mood of Bihar and the Mood of the Nation ahead of the critical election to the State of Bihar. The surveys give us a picture of the likely shape the elections will be a significant indicator of which way the electorate may swing and will focus crucial topics such as farm bills, large scale migration, economic slowdown and pandemic. The next Opinion Poll will air on October 23,2020.
2. Exit Polls: On the last date of Polling, November 07, 2020, TIMES NOW in association with C-VOTER will broadcast an exit poll. Using state of the art technology and on ground field research the Polls maps the state of Bihar and the data is then processed to call a projection for the state. The results are a fair indication of how the election has played out with the Voters.
3. Result Day LIVE: TIMES NOW will bring Result Day LIVE on November 10, 2020 with a new age look at Election Result analysis. Featuring some of the country's top Election Analysts & experts, TIMES NOW bring several unique properties that help viewers understand what the Voters have told us and why the result has shaped the way it is. Moving away from Traditional Analysis like Swing and Vote patterns TIMES NOW uses Big Data Analytics and Mathematical Models to bring the viewer a holistic News Watching Experience. This along with a stellar panel of former Journalists and Political Analysts analyse every move of the election for the viewer.
With its focus on issues that impact people’s lives, Mirror NOW, the channel that ‘Fights for You’ will drive coverage for Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 with the campaign, ‘The Vote’. Offering viewers a comprehensive electoral reportage with an eclectic mix of programming line-up, Mirror NOW highlights the key issues including migrant crisis, rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the annual phenomenon – floods, unemployment and much more with its impactful debates, discussions and a series of exclusive interviews with key newsmakers of Bihar Elections.
1. Young India Debate: Reflecting the voice of young India Mirror NOW will host debates with the students & youngsters from the state on various issues including education, jobs, law & order, women safety and infrastructure. These debates will bring forth the needs of youth and how they want their state to shape up.
2. The Vote: Polling Day Special: Tracking every key development, Mirror NOW brings an inclusive reportage on polling days with multiple segments. With reporters LIVE from the state, the channel will focus on highlighting the ground realities. On November 07, from 6 pm onwards, the channel will air ‘Poll of Polls’, the exit polls to analyse who is winning in which state.
3. The Urban Debate: Starting October 28, at 9pm, Mirror NOW will cover Bihar election with special primetime discussions during the days of polling.
4 The Vote: BIHAR 2020: On result day, November 10 starting from 6am, Mirror NOW will present an all-day LIVE rolling coverage with analysts and field reporters, analysing the results and trends emerging from the victories and defeats.
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.
