News Broadcasting
Bihar Breaks the Internet as News18 polls in a million live Youtube viewers
MUMBAI: Bihar didn’t just go to the polls, it went straight into India’s digital bloodstream. As vote-counting gathered pace on Friday, the Bihar election turned Youtube into the country’s busiest political arena, with the News18 Network smashing through the one-million concurrent live-viewer barrier across its Hindi and regional channels.
In a morning of nail-biting leads, razor-thin swings and rising tempers on ground, the frenzy found its natural home on screens. News18 India led the digital stampede, clocking a formidable 443,191 peak concurrent viewers, reaffirming its grip in the fiercely cut-throat Hindi news race where every viewer is a victory and every refresh a referendum.
But the real plot twist came from the heartland. As the Bihar mandate seesawed and curiosity soared, News18 Bihar & Jharkhand pulled in an astonishing 365,257 concurrent viewers, outshining several national Hindi channels and proving once again that in election season, regional reportage often becomes the national pulse.
Meanwhile, News18 MP & Chhattisgarh delivered a strong peak of 132,620, rounding off a powerhouse performance across the network. Altogether, the three channels amassed a combined 941,068 concurrent viewers on YouTube alone, a number just shy of the million mark, yet enough to signal where India’s real-time political appetite now lives.
And the surge didn’t stop at Youtube’s doorstep. Across Instagram, X and other social platforms, News18’s election day narrative dominated timelines, trended through the morning and fuelled a blizzard of reels, reactions and rapid-fire debates. With the Bihar verdict still unfurling, the network’s total digital footprint cemented its status as the country’s go-to election-day newsroom national in reach, regional in depth, and unmistakably digital-first.
What makes this moment significant isn’t just the size of the audience, but the signal it sends: that when political stakes soar and verdict day nerves peak, audiences flock not just to television studios but to the platforms where speed, clarity and authenticity feel closest at hand. In 2025’s constantly streaming democracy, trust is measured in taps and Bihar’s numbers have spoken.
As the political dust settles and analysts chew over what the mandate means for the state’s future, one fact is already clear: News18 didn’t merely cover the election; it captured the country’s scrolling, swiping, streaming imagination.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
