News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak ad makes it official on new news channel
NEW DELHI: It’s almost official now. Just stopping short of issuing a press release, Aaj Tak, the news channel from the India Today Group (ITG) stable, has made it known, through an advertisement, that it is launching another news channel, in all probability in English.
The advertisement appeared almost in tandem with today’s clearance by the government of GE Mauritius Equity Investment’s plan to pick up a 7.5 per cent stake in the TV Today Network. The approval was one of 30 foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals worth Rs 2120 million that got the all-clear.
GE Capital, through its Mauritius outfit, is paying Rs 105 million for a stake in TV Today Network, United News of India has reported. Commerce and industry minister Murasoli Maran cleared the proposals on the recommendations of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
The huge advertisement, appearing in today’s edition of Times of India, calls for candidates for various posts (in the proposed channel) who would like to be “a part of the team that will make history again.”
The `subse tej’ news channel is also living up to its brash image, it seems. The advertisement starts off with fact No. 1 that Aaj Tak launched a 24-hour Hindi news channel, followed by Fact No. 2 that it became the number one news channel in less than a year (the rivals dispute this anyhow) and Fact No. 3 that Aaj Tak is launching “another news channel.”
Aaj Tak is looking for personnel to be part of the new channel in the editorial, production and technical divisions.
In what can be regarded as a precursor to the return of good times in the job market for journalists – reeling under severe recession – Aaj Tak has advertised for almost 14 posts in the editorial division. This need not necessarily mean that only 14 persons will be taken in as the company is looking at more than several special & principal correspondents and correspondents all over the country.
Efforts made by indiantelevision.com to contact senior execs of Aaj Tak came to a naught as only the company head, G Krishnan, interacts with the media and he is reportedly out of town.
In recent times, Krishnan, who along with ITG chief editor and chief executive Aroon Purie, is credited with the success of Aaj Tak, has been travelling lot within and outside the country which is an indicator that the new news channel is almost round the corner the talk is of a 26 January Republic Day launch, similar to what was done for Aaj Tak.
The Aaj Tak sister channel will not lack for company on the new news channel front. Star, NDTV, Videocon and the Sahara group are all in various stages of getting their channels on air.
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.
