News Broadcasting
‘American Idol’ to expand with ‘World Idol’ special this Christmas season
NEW YORK: It promises to be a one-of-a-kind show for Rupert Murdoch’s Fox and could very well bring in bumper ratings that flatten the competition.
Fans of the music contest American Idol are in for a treat this Christmas.
A World Idol two-part special will air on Christmas and New Year’s Day. This will see the winners of localised versions of Pop Idol including the American winner Kelly Clarkson go head-to-head in London. The other countries that will be represented include Canada, Lebanon, South Africa and Poland.
Reports indicate that each jury member will be from one of the countries competing. Viewers around the world will be able to vote and the results will be announced around a week later.
To prevent bias fans will have to vote for a competitor from another country. Reports also indicate that the vote will take into account population differences between the competing countries. An Indian version of the show is in the works at Star.
The Idol franchise began in the UK in October 2001 as Pop Idol. Since then it has been replicated in over 20 countries. The World Idol organisers, including American Idol producer Simon Fuller, are aiming to find what they call “the world’s ultimate pop superstar”. The actual recording of the show will take place early next month.
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.
