News Broadcasting
NDTV denies rumours of MetroNation shutdown
NEW DELHI: Speculation has been doing the rounds that NDTV might bring the shutter down on its city centric news channel MetroNation, which is currently operational in Delhi. However, the media company has cleared the air saying, that there is no question of a shutdown, rather it will go ahead with its planned launch of its MetroNation Chennai though a date has not been fixed yet.
Speaking to indiantelevision.com NDTV MetroNation CEO Rajiv Lulla said, “We know there are lots of rumours doing the rounds with regards to MetroNation, but we are not going to close down the channel. Also our plan to launch the channel in Chennai is very much in progress. We have already hired about 90 people down south. However, we have not fixed the date for launching the channel yet.”
NDTV has partnered with Kasturi & Sons Ltd, publisher of The Hindu to launch MetroNation Chennai.
Kastrui & Sons managing director N. Murali added, “We will definitely launch the channel, but we are yet to decide the timing.”
Earlier in August, 2008, Lulla had told indiantelevision.com that the NDTV Group will roll out the channel in Chennai by October-end followed by the launch of MetroNation Mumbai by end fiscal 2008-09.
And while, NDTV Group is rationalising costs, the media company has not handed pink slips to its MetroNation employees in and continues to produce programming. Explained Lulla: “At this time of recession like every other company, we are also trying to control our costs as best as we can. But we have not cut any jobs as of now. Also the channel has fresh content on air till date.”
MetroNation Delhi has about 165 employees at the moment.
News Broadcasting
Network18 channels lead YouTube news viewership in March 2026
CNN-News18, News18 India and CNBC channels top categories with record views
MUMBAI: When the world hit refresh on breaking news, Network18’s channels were already streaming ahead. As geopolitical tensions and war-driven headlines fuelled a surge in global news consumption, the network’s digital playbook delivered big clocking record Youtube viewership across English, Hindi and business news categories in March 2026.
At the forefront was CNN-News18, which emerged as the clear leader in the English news segment with 130 million live and video-on-demand views. The channel edged past competitors such as Times of India (126.5 million), Times Now (101.1 million), India Today (88.2 million) and NDTV (77.5 million), according to Databeings data for March.
In the Hindi news arena, News18 India delivered a commanding performance, racking up a staggering 3,297 million views on YouTube. The channel comfortably outpaced NDTV India, which recorded 3,119 million views, underlining its deep reach and consistent engagement with mass audiences, as per Playboard data.
The network’s dominance wasn’t confined to general news. In the Hindi business segment, CNBC Awaaz topped the charts with 92 million views, narrowly ahead of Zee Business (90 million) and well ahead of ET Now Swadesh (57 million). Meanwhile, its English counterpart CNBC-TV18 posted a strong 58 million views, reinforcing the network’s cross-category strength.
The spike in viewership reflects a broader shift in audience behaviour, with viewers increasingly turning to digital platforms particularly Youtube for real-time updates and in-depth coverage during high-intensity news cycles. For Network18, the numbers signal more than just scale; they underline the effectiveness of a multi-platform strategy that blends speed, credibility and continuous coverage.
In a month where the news never paused, it seems viewers chose to stay tuned where the stream never stopped.
