News Broadcasting
Arun Frank pitching for new soap with WTC backdrop
MUMBAI: It’s not got a slotting on any channel as yet but a new soap (working title Missing), being directed by Arun Frank with a backdrop of the WTC tragedy, is under production. It is planned for a February 2003 launch.
While negotiations are on with both Sahara TV and national broadcaster Doordarshan, Frank says in all probability the show will be telecast on the private channel.
The show revolves around the people who have lost their loved ones in the tragedy and the impact of it on the psyche of those that were witness to the events. It’s about those people who are mentally suffering in agony & pain and how it affects people connected to them, Frank says.
Frank, who is best known for soaps involving relationships, emotions and conflicts like Andaz, Amar Prem and Zindagi Teri Meri Kahani among others, says: “I am not talking about terrorism. I don’t want to, I am not getting into that at all. I am looking at it from the other side, the emotional side, as to what happened after the attacks.” He points out that it’s also about those people who are still living with the hope that their dear one’s might just come back some day.
NRI Ashok Ambardekar and Vilas Salunkhe are producing the serial under their banner Amba Arts International. Ashok Ambardekar has given the story concept and Sanjay Chouhan has written it.
Producer Vilas Salunkhe, Vinay Jain, Nirmal Pandey, Mrinal Kulkarni with Director Arun Frank on the sets of Missing The starcast includes Nirmal Pandey, Ayub Khan, Salil Ankola, Mrinal Kulkarni, Avtar Gill, Vinay Jain, Murali Sharma, Sonia Rakkar, Shakti Singh, Madan Jain and Purvi Sanghavi.
The first schedule is being done at the hill stations of Lonavla and Khandala near Pune. The crew expects to move to Washington in December for the shooting of further episodes (which will actually form the first part of the story).
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.
