News Broadcasting
Faye D’Souza launches news channel on Firework
MUMBAI: Now we know what firebrand journo Faye D’souza will be doing. She has partnered with short video content platform FireWork. A channel called Facts first with Faye has been launched.
Its focus: “Everything you need to know about what’s happening in the world. News like it should be done.”
The channel has already got 727 followers, and Faye has been posting videos of between 20-30 seconds each. And the stories cover a wide swathe of topics: Harry & Meghan’s Mexit, Transgenders in Census, Controversial Brazil President to visit India, India ranked 76 out of 82, Shah won’t withdraw CAA, India Dragging Global economy, Delhi under NSA, among many others.
Faye has been giving her unique take in the news clips. For instance: “Brazil’s president being the chief guest at the republic day parade, sends a signal that we are encouraging that kind of culture.”
The videos are simple and have her giving pieces to camera – shot probably with her phone – interspersed with graphics.
Faye has also been active on twitter. And she has been pretty brazen and fearless. Her response to a tweet posted by NDTV stating that Amit Shah has dared Rahul Gandhi, Mamta Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav to a public debate on Citizenship Act at rally in Lucknow went as follows: “Mr Home Minister. I respectfully volunteer to debate with you on the CAA. Just say when!”
Firework India CEO Sunil Nair said “Firework’s news segments with Faye D’Souza will be a gamechanger in the short format video category. This format of news is crafted keeping in mind the preferences of younger millennials between the age of 18 and 25, matching their fast-paced lifestyle and their need to consume content on the go in vertical format. Youngsters in this age group prefer quick news rather than extended television debates, and at the same time is a concerned and well-informed citizen. This is where Firework’s news format will be disruptive providing the point information without the repetitious and at times frivolous long format broadcast news. The current generation does not identify with many of the faces that have been on TV channels for a really long time, Faye helps news bridge the gap and talks directly to her audience in a way that they understand the news quickly”.
This will be a first of its kind interactive news that will enable real time interaction between Faye and her viewers, driving deeper engagement and participation. Initially Faye will post 4 news segments on weekdays and with a single segment on the weekends. Each segment will be a 30 second clip titled “Facts First with Faye”
Faye D’Souza said “News today offers anything but clarity of information. The youth in India are intelligent, opinionated and are looking for a source of news that gives them unbiased information in a short and crisp format that can be consumed “on the go”, 'Facts First with Faye’ will do just that. Firework is an innovative tech led platform that will help offer news and entertainment to the youth that prefers to ignore long drawn and unverified commentary”
Firework launched its video network in India in October 2019 and takes pride in its two- step moderation protocol. While its moderation is largely based on AI algorithms, its content also goes through careful human moderation. This will ensure that any content that is distributed is not only within the legal boundaries of India, but also filters content that may be discriminatory towards any section of the democracy.
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.
