News Broadcasting
India TV asserts 80% C&S penetration in Hindi belt
NEW DELHI: India TV, the 24-hour news channel promoted by Rajat Sharma, is now reaching 19 million homes in the Hindi belt. With this wide distribution, India TV has achieved an 80 per cent penetration in cable and satellite households in the Hindi belt.
The distribution network looks commendable as the channel has not even begun expanding its distribution network in southern India.
With increasing efforts going behind distribution every week, the last two months has witnessed two to three per cent growth in penetration. The Hindi belt has especially shown a wide acceptance for India TV. As per Tam’s connectivity report, in the last month, improvements in connectivity have ensured that India TV’s presence in the vital P, C and S bands is better than that of other news channels, an official statement from India TV claimed.
In markets like Maharashtra and Kolkata (C&S penetration of 77 per cent), India TV has a stronger presence in these bands than Star News, while it outscores Zee News in Maharashtra and Rajasthan (C&S penetration of 80.8 per cent). In Gujarat, the channel has recorded a C&S penetration of 53.4 per cent and in Madhya Pradesh the channel has recorded a C&S penetration of 80.7 per cent. Overall, India TV is available to at least 75 to 80 per cent of C&S households, the statement added.
Commenting on the response received by the distribution team, Sharma said, “It is very encouraging to have managed successfully to implement our strategy, especially through the 100 per cent penetration in most parts of the Hindi belt. The distribution success stands testament to the fact that our unbiased news reporting and international methods of news gathering are being appreciated by viewers.”
Elaborating on the distribution success, Arun Poddar, vice-president (distribution), India TV, said, “In major towns of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, India TV has managed a 100 per cent distribution of both head ends and C&S households. Today, nearly 19 million C&S households in the Hindi belt receive our channel.”
From this month the focus would be on increasing the distribution in south India.
India TV has a distribution agreement with Dish TV, which has 150,000 subscribers. Under the terms of the agreement, Dish TV will receive exclusive rights to distribute the channel on its DTH platform
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
