News Broadcasting
Eight Mumbai kids shortlisted at Hungama TV’s ‘John Aur Kaun?’ auditions
MUMBAI: Hungama TV’s Oral-B John aur Kaun (JAK) auditions that were held in Mumbai on 29 July saw over 1000 kids auditioning. The judges had to screen through kids between the age group of 4 -14 years in the first round of Oral-B JAK before short listing 50 kids.
The final round was held on 30 July in Andheri where celebrity judge Poonam Narula Goel zeroed in on the eight finalists who would represent Mumbai for the final leg. The kids were judged on the basis of their confidence quotient, expressions and creativity in the reaction round.
The final 8 kids selected from Mumbai are: Kritika Sharma (14), Tanya Sharma (10), Chandni Bhagwanani (13), Smriti Sukhija (11), Anashwar Rurup (7), Rohit Jetwani (10), Gaurav Jetwani (11) and Kevin Johi (11).
The Oral-B JAK auditions, which received a good response in Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai, will now travel across Kolkata and Ahmedabad and will culminate in August. The talented eight contenders per city will be flown to Mumbai for the final rounds. This nationwide audition will be aired as a reality show on Hungama TV where these kids will be seen displaying their singing, acting and dancing talents. The selected kids will be further groomed by eminent industry professionals at every step of the contest.
Finally, one boy and one girl will be chosen to act in a UTV-produced movie with Hungama TV’s brand ambassador John Abraham. The winners will also be presented with a cash prize of Rs 500,000 each, along with a three year contract with UTV to manage their acting careers.
Hungama TV COO Zarina Mehta said, “Hundred’s of hugely talented children gathered at the Mumbai auditions and Poonam had a very tough time to finally shortlist the eight kids. The excitement, energy and enthusiasm of the kids and their parents was an inspiration to all of us at Hungama TV. We are truly delighted with the response.”
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.
