Dikhyaa Mohanty 
As per the annual TV viewership report for 2019-2020 by Broadcast Audio Research Council (BARC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the most-watched personality on television in India last year.
PM Modi’s public addresses regarding the ongoing Covid pandemic, and his also his speeches concentrating on a series of issues from India being at the vanguard of transporting Covid-19 vaccines to the ongoing farmer protests.
PM Modi’s interviews, speeches at global events, address to the nation, or even a wildlife adventure show, channels that broadcast the content view their viewership upward. His speech at Red Fort, which was over two hours long, with 133 million viewers, witnessed an increase by 40 percent, as to his Independence Day speech in 2019.
Another PM’s speech on March 24, 2020, where he announced the first lockdown, witnessed more viewing minutes than any of his previous addresses. His address to the nation in April 2020, where he announced a relief package of Rs 20 lakh crores, became the most-watched address with over 203 million viewers. Modi’s call for solidarity by switching off lights for nine-long minutes displayed a 60 percent decline in TV viewership.
The report also showed that due to the pandemic, and following an accumulating interest in government measures and announcements, the share of news in total TV viewership tripled as compared to the yearly growth of seven percent previously.
Image Source – Google
