News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati hopes to find distribution partners to push DD channel in UK on BSkyB
NEW DELHI: Indian pubcaster Doordarshan wants to travel to the UK to woo TV audiences of Indian diaspora, but doesnt have the requisite fund of its own to do so as the government has refused financial help in this regard.
So, Prasar Bharati, which manages Doordarshan and All India Radio, would float tender inviting companies interested in distributing a Doordarshan channel in the UK on the BSkyB platform.
Interacting with journalists during a demonstration of DDs DTH service today, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma admitted that lack of adequate fund has hampered a DD channel joining the BSkyB platform.
Pointing out that the government has refused to extend a helping hand in this regard, Sarma said, Since the cost of being distributed in the UK is high and we are not in a position to do so ourselves, we are looking at private parties to help us in doing so. The government has refused any additional financial aid.
According to him, it would cost Prasar Bharati Rs. 140 million per year per channel to be distributed in the UKs cable and digital pay platforms.
He expressed hope that people would be interested in being the distributor of a DD channel in the UK and earn revenue by targeting people of Indian origin there.
In this regard, he said that five companies have shown interest in distributing five language DD channels in the United States and have offered $ 50,000 per channel per year as a minimum guarantee to Prasar Bharati.
Initially, Prasar Bharati had drawn up plans to take two channels, one news and the other having entertainment-related programming, to the UK on the Rupert Murdoch-controlled BSkyB platform.
The finance ministry had struck down this proposal indicating Prasar Bharati re-work the whole project, including future revenue models. Finally clearance for one channel had come through. The rider: DD wants to go to the UK, it would have to pay for the fare.
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.
