News Broadcasting
BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ gets into the interactive mode musically
MUMBAI: What is the greatest driving song of all time? That is the question that the BBC is looking to answer through its car show Top Gear. Over the following weeks the producers of the show will be conducting a poll in the UK. Fans of the show are invited to vote for the song that gets their motors running, spins their wheels or quite simply takes the stress out of the daily commute.
After the votes are in, a shortlist of the five most popular songs will be drawn up. Then, over the following five weeks, each episode of Top Gear in the UK will feature a film made by a champion urging viewers to vote for that song.
The show’s host Jeremy Clarkson says, “It is that moment when you’re in your car on a great road and that one song that makes driving in your car just amazing There are obviously hundreds to choose from – I’ve got my favourites, which the others naturally think are rubbish; but we want you, the public, to decide.”
The winner could be the product of a classic rock icon like Bruce Springsteen or U2. It could be power pop from Lenny Kravitz or Sheryl Crow; perhaps a Motown Classic, an RnB hit. Viewers may well decide to go with a late night driving song like The Doors’ Riders on the Storm.
Queen’s rock opera Bohemian Rhapsody, Eric Clapton’s Layla and Steppenwolf’s hymn to the open road Born To Be Wild can also win.
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.
