News Broadcasting
Murdoch takes a re-look at cyberspace
MUMBAI: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is looking at focusing at the Internet space with renewed vigour. In a meeting with the top American editors of various publications, Murdoch stated that the plan ahead was to focus on the space and shake it up in the same manner he did with TV.
Murdoch pointed out that the Internet was a fast-growing reality and an emerging medium. The immediate plan to go in for an overhaul of the Murdoch-owned websites of his New York Post, Fox News Channel and other properties to make them destinations for young people. He also added that increasingly people don’t have time for daily newspapers as well as the evening news broadcasts and hence the Internet plays a crucial role for news delivery.
Murdoch also acknowledged the cost factor that would be needed to go in for the upgradation of News Corp’s sites, but also said making them a pay service at this time was distant. Among the major papers, only The Wall Street Journal, currently charges access fees.
In addition, Murdoch also said bloggers should be encouraged to join news sites. This, he said, would broaden the coverage of news as well as make it interactive for the community at large.
Interestingly, Murdoch was one of the first movers into the Internet space but took a back seat when the dotcom bust took place in the late 90’s.
Now that one is seeing the revival of the dotcom space, Murdoch’s renewed interest in this space seems only justified.
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.
