News Broadcasting
Mamata Banerjee plans to start state-run channel
MUMBAI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee loves to be in news, for whatever reasons. After gaining intense criticism and negative publicity over several recent decisions, she is now planning to launch her own television channel and a newspaper.
Banerjee said today that she would start a television channel and a newspaper to disseminate correct information and publicise the activities and achievements of the government.
She said, “I have already told my ministers that I want to start a channel and a newspaper for the West Bengal government.”
“No matter how many good deeds we do, they are not broadcast in the right way, instead are broadcast negatively… That is why I think we have to do something good ourselves and that is why we have taken the decision to show the work done in West Bengal…We need our own news channel and paper to inform the people,” Banerjee said at a convention in Kolkata.
Last month, Banerjee had drawn criticism after her government came out with a list of newspapers to be kept at the state-run libraries, keeping out some prominent English dailies out of the list.
Last Thursday, she advised people in her state not to watch “some news channels”; they should instead watch entertainment channels. “Do not watch the two television channels that are spreading falsehood against us, watch Star Jalsa, Tara and Channel 10,” she had said while addressing a government programme in North 24 Parganas.
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.
