News Broadcasting
Network18 & Viacom18 dole out 100% variable pay to employees
KOLKATA: Amid the second wave of the Covid2019 crisis, many organisations are taking initiatives for the well-being of their workforce. Even as several news and media enterprises are slashing salaries or resorting to mass lay-offs, Network18 and Viacom18 has paid all eligible employees the variable portion of remuneration for the last appraisal year ahead of schedule.
It is to be noted that this measure of variable payout is not related to performance ratings this year.
This financial relief is in addition to the media group’s drive to get its employees and their families vaccinated against Covid.
“This gesture of 100 per cent variable payout irrespective of performance this year is a small token of the company’s appreciation of your efforts during these challenging times,” Network18 managing director Rahul Joshi wrote in an internal email to employees.
In the email, Joshi also requested them to take better care of their health, and to refrain from taking unnecessary risks to prevent health hazards. He also asked employees to reach out to each other, and to the organisation in case of any emergency.
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.
