News Broadcasting
Ashish Sehgal makes a timely move as Times Network CEO from early next month
MUMBAI: Ashish Sehgal is coming home to Times Group. The media industry heavyweight will take charge as chief executive officer of Times Network next month, ending a turbulent year and a half that saw two leadership exits and mounting operational drift.
Sehgal, who left Zee Entertainment Enterprises in October after a successful run as chief growth officer for broadcast and digital, will also serve as chief growth officer for business, sports and entertainment verticals within Vineet Jain’s portfolio. His arrival is expected to bring much-needed stability to a network that has been rudderless since the departure of long-serving chief executive M. K. Anand in July 2024.
The leadership vacuum deepened in August when chief operating officer Varun Kohli stepped down after just 13 months. Rohit Gopakumar, who juggles responsibilities across Worldwide Media and the entertainment and digital divisions, has been holding the fort since. Sehgal’s appointment will allow him to return to his core mandate.
Industry insiders see the move as a signal that Times Network is ready to stop the bleeding and start building again. Sehgal brings a reputation for sharp strategy and muscular execution. At Zeel, he drove performance across television and Zee5, steered the ILT20 Cricket League as business head, and delivered robust top-line growth as chief operating officer of Zee Unimedia between 2015 and 2020—widely regarded as one of the company’s strongest phases.
Before Zee, Sehgal cut his teeth at Star India, where he ran national sales for Star Gold after leading its northern operations. His career began at Univista TV and Times FM.
Reached for comment, Sehgal was cryptic. “No comment. I’m off on a holiday and will be spending time with my family.” Sources within Times Network, however, confirmed the appointment.
The network has been holding its breath. Now it can exhale.
(Updated 12 noon)
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.
