News Broadcasting
Doug Herzog is Spike TV president
MUMBAI: US media conglomerate Viacom has announced that Doug Herzog will be the new president of its male oriented network Spike TV.
He also serves as Comedy Central president. Comedy Central and Spike TV will form a new unit, within MTV Networks, under Herzog.
He takes over Spike TV’s reins from Albie Hecht who put in his papers last week. MTV Networks group president Herb Scannell said, “Doug is a great leader with an incredible track record in developing original hit programming. Spike TV has had a great success to date, branding the network strongly and connecting with viewers and advertisers, which has resulted in ratings and ad sales gains. I know that Doug will take Spike to the next level, by creating strong series for a broader male demo and by furthering the networks’ connection with viewers and business partners.”
MTV Networks chairman Judy McGrath said, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Doug’s influence and creative energy on Spike TV — and to create a new unit, under him, along with Comedy Central. Culturally and from a business perspective, there are tremendous opportunities and advantages in bringing these two networks together that share a highly desirable demographic but speak to it independently.”
Herzog said, “I am truly looking forward to working on Spike TV. In an extremely short time, they have built a strong brand that is relevant to its core audience and well-known in a cluttered marketplace. Personally, I am looking forward to finding out what men really want and figuring out how to put some legal version of that on television.”
Spike TV launched on 11 August, 2003 claims to be currently ranked as the third highest rated basic cable network among Males 18-49 (year-to-date) in primetime, according to Nielsen.
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.
