News Broadcasting
Digital satellite Telugu channel Maa TV launching soon
After a barren period, channel launches appear to be again happening. In the offing is a new digital Telugu regional language channel – Maa TV.
The channel is being launched by Maa Television Network Ltd, a Hyderabad-based broadcaster and entertainment company that plans to unveil the new channel very soon. Test transmission will commence from 11:42 am on Sunday.
Disclosing this D Rajendra Prasad, executive director and spokesperson for Maa TV, informed that the channel will be a combination of programming that ranges from dramas, serials, long plays, sitcoms, chat shows, music, current affairs, interactive programmes, documentaries, movies and live performances. The channel will telecast for 18 hours a day.
An initial investment of Rs 250 million is going into the launch of Maa TV which will be a pay service from Day 1 of operations.
The channel is promoted by Ramakrishna, the founder of Siti Cable in Andhra Pradesh, an official release says. The promoters expect to generate a total business of Rs 220 million in the first year of operations.
On the sales and distribution front, Maa TV hopes to reach 75 per cent of viewers in the state in the first three months of its launch. The promoters claim that their long experience in the cable industry will enable them to reach the targets that they have set themselves.
The channel will be beamed off APR -1 (Insat 2E) satellite and 3/3 (Zonal Beam) transponder.
Together with Maa TV, a cable channel – Maa Cinema – is also in the pipeline. The company claims it already has more than 2650 films in its kitty and is planning to procure rights of more films.
Whatever be the plans of the channel, it will be taking on two well established free-to-air channels in Gemini TV (part of Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Network) and Ramoji Rao’s Eenadu TV. And how subscribers are expected to take to a brand new pay channel when there are two free channels offering quality fare already in existence is anybody’s guess.
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.
