News Broadcasting
Bangalore non-Kannada theaters apprehensive over state panel report
BANGALORE: The future seems bleak for non-Kannada film screen if the government agrees to the decisions arrived at by the panel headed by the chief secretary KP Pandey on 23 August.
The controversial decisions wherein the panel has given in to the demands of the Karnataka Film Producers Association (KFPA) and the Karnataka Film Directors Association (KFDA) that non-Kannada Films will be released in Karnataka only after seven weeks from the date of release in their own states and that only six prints of each film would be permitted for the state would benefit only a few big Kannada producers and highly paid actors, claimed an industry source.
“The small budget Kannada film makers may have to follow the practice prevalent in the USA – release the films on the small screen only, since most small budget Kannada films don’t even pay back the rentals of the theaters, let alone make any profits for the producers or distributors, and the what of lack of quality Kannada films even some big budget ones, let alone the quantity required for all the theaters across the state. How can a theater survive? We can foresee conversion of many theaters to malls and shopping bazaars if these unconstitutional rules are passed and enforced by the state,” said one Bangalore based theatre owner.
Non-Kannada film theater owners and exhibitors are unhappy about the fact that they don’t even have adequate and proper representation in the committee. Decisions are taken only to benefit a select few and the government, if it caves in to the demands will be doing a grave injustice to the exhibitors, theater owners and distributors, the common man who will have a limited choice of films to view. A majority of the denizens of a cosmopolitan city like Bangalore will be forced to stop going to the movies, they allege.
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.
