News Broadcasting
BIG 92.7 FM promo budget Rs 400 mn; Bangalore station launch on 9 October
BANGALORE: Adlabs Films (AF) will launch its Big 92.7 FM in Bangalore on 9 October. The city is the fourth station of the company’s proposed 45 (54 co-branded) FM radio stations; the other three being Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi. Soon to follow are Kolkata and Mumbai.
Big FM has earmarked about Rs 400 million towards its national promotional campaign. The company plans to kick off the Bangalore marketing and promotional initiatives with a city-wide campaign to get citizens to come together and work towards “Making Bangalore A Safer Place”. The campaign will be driven by brand ambassador Upendra.
To create awareness among Bangaloreans, the station is exploring the outdoor space also in a big way. According to Big associate VP & station head Farida K. Print, about 40-45 locations have been covered with outdoor hoardings as per the strategy. Another novel initiative would be 92.7 FM only receivers in auto rickshaws. The plans also include various ground events and television commercials.
Adlabs Films has roped in Kannada film actor Upendra as brand ambassador for Karnataka. The radio station has hired personalities from the Kannada film & television industries as RJ’s. According to Katial, the content would be mainly local with some Hindi and no English at all, which is generally different from the trends set by the other FM stations in Bangalore.
Unveiling the brand, Big 92.7 FM COO Tarun Katial said, “With this launch, we aim to present innovative radio programming. Not only have we developed fresh and unique content but have also roped in personalities who will connect with the listeners and provide the glamour quotient. Our detailed research on the city’s psychographics will ensure that the station sounds refreshing and unique with a major focus on utilities and entertainment.”
Rs 4 billion has been invested on transmission equipments, infrastructure and licensing, as per an official release. The IP protocol technology being utilised for Big 92.7 FM is from Axia, USA.
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.
