News Broadcasting
‘Hum Sab Baraati’ heading for premature end
MUMBAI: Zee has decided to pull its Sunday-Wednesday 8 pm comedy show Hum Sab Baraati off air around mid-August due to faltering TRPs.
About three-and-a-half months ago, 4 April to be exact, we thought Zee had done everything right to tickle the funny bone when it launched Sanjay Chhel Telefilms Pvt Ltd’s maiden television venture Hum Sab Baraati (starring Dinyar Contractor, Tiku Tulsania, et al). The show was described as a light and frothy sitcom with ‘a touch of soap opera,’ revolving around a family of wedding planners. Now it looks like show is coming to an premature end.
To mark the launch of HSB, Chhel had hired a music band, palmists, mehendiwali and flower sellers, among others. Speaking about the venture at that time, Chhel had said, “It’s a feel-good comedy with integrally woven songs and dances.” In addition to the dialogues, Chhel had also penned songs for the show.
When contacted, Zee programming head Ashwini Yardi confirmed the news.”We always keep on introducing new formats and are replacing Hum Sab Barati,, which has already run the stipulated number of episodes, with a new serial.” This is despite the fact that Zee had affirmed at the time of its launch that HSB had been commissioned for a year.
When contacted, Chhel, however, said, “This is news to me. Zee has not sent me any intimation in this regard. I am shooting the episodes as usual.”
A leading actor from the serial (requesting anonymity) also confirmed, “Yes, I have heard this rumour. But I think that the channel should observe patience. Comedies take a long time to register and grow.”
We also remember Chhel telling us, the road to its telecast has been easy. “I spoke to other channels as well about this show, but somehow thought that Zee TV was the least interfering of all.” Well?
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.
