News Broadcasting
No relief for Times Now in defamation case
MUMBAI: In what can be termed as a setback to the English news channel Times Now, the Supreme Court has refused to give any relief in the defamation case filed by retired SC judge PB Sawant.
Earlier, Bombay High Court had ordered Times Global Broadcasting, which runs Times Now, to deposit Rs 200 million in cash along with a bank guarantee of Rs 800 million, before its appeal against a Pune
trial court ruling that directed the channel to pay Rs 1 billion in damages for defaming Sawant could be heard.
The channel had erroneously ran Sawant’s photograph during the reportage of provident fund scam in September 2008. Apparently, justice Sawant had nothing to do with the scandal exposed by a
treasury officer, Ashthana.
Later, justice Sawant sued the channel saying it telecast his photograph for 15 seconds along with the provident fund scam report on 10 September 2008.
The Pune court ordered the channel to pay the hefty sum as damages, but the channel moved the High Court. However, the HC directed the channel to deposit the amount of damages so that its appeal could be heard.
Rejecting the company’s appeal against the HC order, a bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi said on Friday there was no error in the HC order. “We find no reason to interfere with the HC’s order,” it said.
In its defence, the TV channel asserted that it had already apologised to Justice Sawant in its news scroll for five days in 2008 and was, therefore, not liable to pay damages.
When contacted, Times Television Network MD and CEO Sunil Lulla declined to comment.
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.
