News Broadcasting
Star News’ ‘Ek Shahar…’ a look at state of Indian cities
MUMBAI: This summer, Star News is all set to launch two new shows – Ek Shahar Ho Sapno Ka and Fund kA Funda. While the former will launch on 2 May, the latter will premiere on 30 April at 9.30 pm.
Ek Shahar… will take a look at people’s aspirations towards making India a world-class destination and starts off with weighing Mumbai against Shanghai, a fine example of China’s exemplary progress in the economic arena.
The show aims to be an encouragement to fulfilling the Indian dream for world-class cities and takes an in-depth look into the basic issues of transport, housing, civic infrastructure, health, economic growth and related obstacles that stand in the way of fashioning Mumbai into a leading world city. It traces Shanghai’s genesis from a Mumbai-like city in the 1980s and its transformation into a commercial hub.
While Mumbai will face off with Shanghai on Ek Shahar Ho Sapno Ka from 2 May, audience responses have started pouring in via SMS and email from 25 April. Viewers will get a platform to voice their opinions on the hurdles that Mumbai currently faces and give suggestions on how Mumbai can stand up and be counted as a world-class city.
From 2 May all City 60 bulletins from Monday to Thursday, will feature a segment dedicated to Ek Shahar…, which will focus on one specific issue every week. The series will climax weekly in a grand half-hour live debate on the topic of that week every Friday, featuring prominent citizens and the common man of Mumbai.
This month-long series will conclude on 27 May.
Fund kA Funda, on the other hand, is an educative special on the world of mutual funds. Given the fact that a variety of instruments like mutual funds, PPF, debt, equities, bonds vie for the hard earned savings of an investor, the question for a traditional investor remains, “Where should I invest for a financially secure future?” Fund kA Funda will attempt to answer this question, providing the investor a guiding light into the world of mutual funds.
The show will also feature India’s foremost expert on mutual funds, Value Research founder and CEO Dhirendra Kumar. Apart from presenting his analysis of various funds and investment tips, Kumar will answer viewers’ queries through live call-ins in the course of the show.
The half hour show besides featuring a cover story will report the latest news on the various funds in the market, their latest ratings and showcase portfolio case studies. The repeat telecast will be on every Sunday at 5.30 pm.
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.
