News Broadcasting
Pak beckons cross-media ownership
MUMBAI: The Pakistan government has decided to relax media ownership rules and allow cross-media ownership in the country. An amendment to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance (PEMRA) will allow the Pakistan print media owners to operate electronic media including satellite TV channels.
Government will table the amendments in the next parliament session.
According to Pak Information and Broadcasting minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, PEMRA would convene a meeting of the authority shortly to make necessary proposals for amendments in the relevant provisions of the ordinance 2002 and Pemra Rules 2002.
The next meeting of the authority will be held on May 7, 2004 to decide about issuing licenses to those applicants who fall under the category of cross-media ownership, said Ahmed.
The approval of the amendments would follow the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notifying the sequential changes in the Rules in the Gazette. Such changes would also make provisions to create a level playing field and prevent undue media concentration and unfair business practices, said the minister.
Necessary safeguards would also be incorporated in the PEMRA ordinance and rules to prevent misuse of media power. Those applicants who come under cross-media ownership and had not applied for satellite TV license will also be granted an opportunity to apply for a satellite TV license. The deadline for this is May 15, 2004.
It is learnt that no bidding would be held for the awarding of the licenses because there is space to accommodate more than 12 new television channels. The licenses will cost a fee of Rs 2.5 million each. PEMRA will charge an annual fee and a percentage of each channel’s annual revenue.
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.
