News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati targets 2 million DTH subscribers by end 2005
NEW DELHI: On the eve of a formal launch of Doordarshans DTH service by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Prasar Bharati said that it has set a target of two million subscribers by end 2005 and increasing channel capacity to 50 by June next.
On the occasion of a demonstration of DD Direct Plus, the brand name under which DD would market its free DTH service, Prasar Bharati CEO KS Sarma said, By December 2005 we hope to have a subscriber base of two million, which may help the platform net additional private TV channels.
Though he ruled out any private sector pay channels immediately joining DD Direct Plus, he did say that 40-odd free to air TV channels, including German pubcaster DW, standing in the queue having shown interest in joining the DTH platform.
He added, Since we do not have much capacity at the moment to include all TV channels that have shown interest, we have asked Tam to carry out a survey and based on the popularity of a channel, it would be allowed entry on DD Direct Plus.”
DD Direct Plus is a free to DTH service offering 32 FTA TV channels, including 13 private ones, and 12 customised radio channels. A subscriber would have to make an one-time investment of Rs, 3,000-Rs 3,500 on the hardware and pay no monthly subscription fee, unlike the countrys first DTH service, marketed by Zee Telefilms under Dish TV brand name.
Sarma was optimistic that there would many takers for this service, as about 45 million TV homes in the country dont have any cable service. In this regard, Prasar Bharati has distributed 10,000 set-top-boxes, free in those states where TV coverage is below the national average.
A higher-end version of the set-top boxes, being manufactured by private companies, do have an option for smart cards in case of pay channels joining DDs DTH platform in future.
The STBs being sold in the market are not branded ones, but Prasar Bharati plans to float a tender inviting interested hardware companies to make Prasar Bharati branded boxes after paying a minimum guarantee on a non-exclusive basis.
DD Direct Plus, beaming through NSS 6 satellite, includes all DD channels, apart from the likes of BBC World, Sun TV, Star Utsav, from the Zee stable Kairali TV, Zee Music and Smile TV, Jain TV, Aaj Tak and Headlines Today. The radio channels include All India Radio channels.
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.
