News Broadcasting
DD offers to share DTT kitty with satellite channels
Doordarshan has decided to offer digital transmission television (DTT) platform to private satellite channels in the coming weeks.
After a hiatus of nearly two years, the public broadcaster commenced a pilot DTT project in Delhi last month, and plans to roll out similar facilities in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata shortly, according to a report in the Financial Express. Quoting Prasar Bharati CEO Anil Baijal, the report says that the pubcaster will be sending out an open invitation for partnerships in the next few weeks. “These partners could be broadcasters and even data transmission service providers,” Baijal has said.
The channels that partner with DD will now have an option to bypass the cable op and beam high quality programmes to TV sets. The sets would however need to be fitted with decoders. The government has ordered nearly 100 decoder prototypes from Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited (HFCL), Baijal has been quoted as saying. Besides offering better picture quality, DTT would mean better use of spectrum and would allow Internet access in addition to other value added services, according to the official. Baijal feels the DTT platform could gradually be offered to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as well.
A business model will be worked out once the satellite channels wishing to partner DD are identified. Meanwhile, Prasar Bharati is drawing up plans for a phased rollout of DTT across the country. Bangalore and Pune are next on the launch map, according to Baijal. The next few years would see a transition phase in which analogue terrestrial transmission will co-exist with DTT.
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.
