News Broadcasting
BBC’s interactive initiative seeks to rewrite the Oxford dictionary
MUMBAI: UK public broadcaster The BBC has announced an interactive initiative in the UK Wordhunt. This aims at rewriting the the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). BBC Two is asking viewers to join The Wordhunt Project and help rewrite what it has dubbed as ‘the greatest book in the English language’.
A major series next year will present the results and will be the biggest, boldest attempt yet to ask the nation, “Where do words come from?”. 250 years after Doctor Johnson wrote his celebrated dictionary with the aid of just six helpers, the BBC and the Oxford English Dictionary are joining forces for The Wordhunt Project, and appealing to Britain to help solve some of the most intriguing recent word mysteries in the language.
Wordhunters should log on to bbc.co.uk/wordhunt to see how their evidence could be included in the OED. BBC Two controller Roly Keating said, “We’re launching a nationwide hunt for the origin of words and it’s a fantastic opportunity for viewers to contribute to a historic project. Any valid evidence will not only rewrite the Oxford English Dictionary but will feed into a major series for BBC TWO on the origin of words. The OED and this series promise a fascinating and unique insight into British history.”
The Oxford English Dictionary is appealing to the public for a focussed effort on 50 words. They include back to square one, jaffa (cricketing term), Beeb, to bonk (sexual intercourse), cyberspace, tikka masala and full monty. The OED seeks to find the earliest verifiable usage of every single word in the English language – currently 600,000 and counting – and of every separate meaning of every word.
Quite a task! The 50 words on the appeal list all have a date next to them – corresponding to the earliest evidence the dictionary currently has for that word or phrase. No dictionary is ever finished. Therefore the BBC is also appealing for interested word hunters to find new words that aren’t present in the OED.
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.
