News Broadcasting
Disney terms Miramax unprofitable; Weinsteins ready to buy back
MUMBAI: The souring relationship between Miramax studio and its parent Walt Disney Company has triggered a war of statements. While Disney has downright given Miramax the loser’s tag, founders and co-chairmen of Miramax — Harvey and Bob Weinstein — have asked Disney to quote a sum so that they can buy back the studio.
Last week, Eisner went on record saying Disney had no plans to sell Miramax though the studio had been unprofitable in three of the past five years. While opposing Eisner’s statement, Miramax spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said the studio was making money, as evidenced by Disney’s having had to pay the Weinsteins a bonus that had been predicated on Miramax’ turning a profit.
”If Disney thinks Miramax is so unprofitable, Bob and Harvey would be happy to buy it back if Disney names the price,” Hiltzik was quoted as saying in media reports.
This made Disney President Robert Iger to extend his support to Eisner by claiming Miramax has been unprofitable in recent years.
”They’re not taking into account standard overhead, distribution fees, bonuses that we pay Bob and Harvey. Nor are they applying current accounting rules. So, yes, there are two sides to the story, but I think our side of the story is a rather credible side,” Iger was quoted as saying in reports.
Disney acquired Miramax 11 years ago. It is reported that Disney intends to pay Weinstein brothers less money and to impose caps on exploding budgets at Miramax. The studio known for breeding small and inexpensive films has been focusing on expensive projects of late as last year’s $80 million Cold Mountain and $70 million The Green Hornet, which is currently under production.
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.
