News Broadcasting
NDTV plans to launch MetroNation Chennai in April
NEW DELHI: NDTV is readying for the launch of MetroNation Chennai in April while cutting costs in MetroNation Delhi to keep losses in check amid an economic downturn.
Jennifer Arul is the managing editor of the channel. “We have already hired about 100 people and will be launching MetroNation Chennai in April,” says NDTV MetroNation CEO Rajiv Lulla.
As reported first in Indiantelevision.com, NDTV will launch the Chennai city-centric channel through a joint venture company with the Hindu Group where it will hold 51 per cent stake.
So what led to the delay when the channel was supposed to launch last year? “There were licence issues and it took us time arranging for everything,” says Lulla.
Meanwhile, NDTV has scaled down the operations of MetroNation Delhi by axing jobs and reducing fresh programming on the city-specific channel for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The channel has converted its mobile studio, ‘The Metronation Bus,’ into a mobile election studio to be used by the two sister news channels, NDTV 24X7 and NDTV India.
“MetroNation is a resilient and nimble channel. We are cutting costs and will hire people when the time is right,” says Lulla.
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.
