News Broadcasting
BBC audience in Bangladesh increases
MUMBAI: BBC World Service has stated that its weekly audience in Bangladesh has increased by 2.6 million in the past year. Thirteen million Bangladeshis tuned in to BBC Bengali. These were some of the findings of a weekly report undertaken by an independent agency for BBC World Service.
The increase is mostly thanks to the rise in rural listeners and represents a strong recovery from the audience drop in 2003 following the Iraq war. The survey reveals that the vast majority of those who have ever listened to the BBC – more than 80 per cent – consider it to be trustworthy.
BBC World Service acting executive editor Asia and Pacific Region Sabir Mustafa said, “I am delighted that the hard work and expertise of our programme makers has paid off. There is an emphasis on making livelier, more interactive programmes, while maintaining the BBC’s high editorial standards. We dedicated ourselves to winning our listeners back, and it’s great to see this result.”
BBC World Service controller marketing communications and audiences Alan Booth said, “The Beeb is by far the strongest international media brand in Bangladesh. It is a major market for us. What we have learnt since 2003 is how quickly we can be affected by global events. What is reassuring is how rapidly we have recovered ground and won back our listeners. These results are even more impressive against the backdrop of the general decline in radio audiences across urban areas in Bangladesh, as more people turn to TV.”
The research was conducted between December 2004 and January 2005 by an independent research agency in Bangladesh. About 2,010 interviews were conducted, using random probability sampling among the general public aged 15+.
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.
