News Broadcasting
Editors dismayed over I&B’s notice to 3 news channels over Yakub Memon’s hanging
NEW DELHI: The Broadcast Editors’ Association (BEA) has reacted strongly to the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry’s notice to three television news channels relating to their coverage of stories linked to the 1993 serial bombing convict Yakub Memon’s hanging.
Referring to the show cause notices sent to ABP News, Aaj Tak and NDTV, the Association expressed concern over the “apparent tendency among governments, both at the centre and in some states, to serve notices on media organisations in a selective manner.”
Expressing dismay, BEA said it would take up this issue with the government at the highest level.
Meanwhile, confirming the issuance of the show cause notices to the three channels, a senior official of the I&B Ministry told Indiantelevision.com that the channels had been given a time of 15 days to reply.
The official said that the matter would then go to the Inter-Ministerial Committee headed by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry along with several members from other Ministries.
It is learnt that the notice asks why action should not be taken against the channels for carrying reports that amounted to contempt of the institution of the President as also the judiciary. It was stated in the notice that some of the coverages amounted to violation of some sections of the Programme Code.
One of the sections says that no programme should be carried, which is likely to encourage or incite violence or contains anything against maintenance of law and order or which promote anti-national attitudes.
Another section also asks channels not to carry anything, which contains aspersions against the integrity of the President and Judiciary.
Two of the broadcasters to whom notices have been sent had reportedly aired phone-in interviews of underworld figure Chhota Shakeel, while another channel is learnt to have telecast remarks of Memon’s lawyer.
Memon was convicted in 2007 as the person behind the attack in Mumbai in 1993 in which 257 people were killed as bombs exploded back to back.
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.
