News Broadcasting
Discovery to air ‘Capturing Saddam’
MUMBAI: It was an unexpected finale to a long drama and Discovery Channel is set to make it a special.
Capturing Saddam , a programme portraying the capture Saddam Hussein will premiere on Thursday, 15 January 2004 at 9:00 pm. Hussein, branded as a dictator of the modern era was caught after months of frustrating search operations that cost the United States Army several human lives and millions of dollars.
Feared as a vicious oppressor, who killed tens of thousands of people, Saddam Hussein was caught in a rather peaceful manner in a ‘spider hole’ on a deserted farm, says a company release.
The infotainment channel will be airing the finale of an eight-month long manhunt, which ended on the night of 13 December 2003 after one of the Hussein’s family members volunteered information about his location. The Iraqi military leader was caught hiding in a six to eight foot hole that was camouflaged with bricks and dirt.
One Alliance’s infotainment channel will be airing the operation titled ‘Operation Red Dawn’, conducted by 600 soldiers of the US Army’s 4th Infantry Division and the events that unfolded thereafter.
According to Discovery Communications India director – marketing, Aditya P Tripathi, “The capture of Saddam Hussein has been one of the most closely followed events in recent times. With Capturing Saddam, Discovery Channel brings to viewers contemporary history in the making. The programme gives viewers a blow by blow account of how the most feared dictator in the world was captured.”
The United States brought all its financial resources into play, purchasing information from anybody who was close to Saddam. It took U.S. intelligence several months and millions of dollars to evaluate and act upon the ‘actionable intelligence’.
Saddam’s day in court will be a defining moment for Iraq and for global human rights. Saddam will be tried for the mass-murder of Iraqi Kurds in the late 1980s- a crime known as the Anfal genocide, informs release.
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.
