News Broadcasting
CNBC slams INCablenet for blocking feed in Mumbai
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The multi-system operator (MSO)-broadcaster face-off has taken another twist. Now the dramatis personae are the Hinduja group-controlled INCablenet and business news channel CNBC India. The former apparently has taken CNBC India feed off its networks in Mumbai since Tuesday allegedly in retaliation for a report carried by the channel on the Hindujas and Bofors case earlier this week.
In a counter move, CNBC India has decided to stop covering the Hinduja group’s business activities and has also deleted the Hinduja group’s scrip price movement from its ticker service, which comes at the bottom of the TV screen.
While the Hinduja Group has not sent any kind of written communication to CNBC India, two of their executives clearly confirmed that the action was taken since “the Hinduja Group was extremely unhappy with the CNBC report,” Haresh Chawla, chief executive of Television Eighteen Ltd, told indiantelevision.com today, when quizzed on the face-off with INCablenet.
TV Eighteen Ltd is the Indian joint venture partner of CNBC Asia in CNBC India.
INCablenet president Rajiv Vyas, however, said the business channel was off the network because it had failed to provide “an official undertaking that it was complying with all terms and conditions of the Cable Act.”
An official statement from TV18 has said the INCablenet action was an “unjust and illegal retaliation” against CNBC India for a 16 September report the business channel carried on submissions made by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a Delhi Court in the Rs 640 million Bofors pay-off case against the Hindujas. This story was based on a wire report put out by the United News of India news agency.
Condemning the alleged motives behind the move, CNBC India has stated that the action by the Hinduja Group is an “assault” on the freedom of the media.
As a mark of its own protest, CNBC India shall forthwith cease coverage of the commercial activities of the Hinduja Group, the TV18 statement said. “As a first action, share prices of Hinduja Group companies, viz Ashok Leyland and Hinduja TMT, are being dropped from the ticker on the channel. The advertising spots of Gulf Oil, another Hinduja Group company, on the channel are also being removed forthwith,” Chawla said.
CNBC India is also mulling moving the Press Council of India and the ministry of information & broadcasting for enforcing their just authority in this matter, besides taking recourse to any other remedy that shall be available to it, unless INCablenet apologises, the statement said.
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.
