News Broadcasting
Star News likely to get yet another extension
NEW DELHI: Controversy notwithstanding, Star News is likely to get another extension for uplinking from India when the final extension expires Wednesday midnight.
This was indicated by a senior government functionary on Tuesday, when some media barons and representatives had a series of meetings with ministers, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, on the need for uniformity in media policies and strict implementation of local rules and regulations.
Though Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad did not want to speak much on the Star News issue officially, government sources indicated that the channel would continue to uplink from India as there is a court order in this regard.
“In the wake of the court order, without giving any specific and concrete reason, the government cannot stop permission for uplinking to Star News,” a government source said. The sources further said that the inter-ministerial group is likely to meet again this weekend — after the period of replies and counter-replies is over between Star News and the government — to discuss a base paper on the issue prepared by the I&B ministry.
Though there have been media reports that this inter-ministerial group is likely to reject Star News’ plea and arguments, government sources said on Tuesday that even if the I&B ministry has a point of view, the representative from the department of company affairs (DCA) may have views contrary to this.
“So, it’s early to say what the ministerial group may finally come up with. After that the issue goes to a group of ministers and, if necessary, to the cabinet too,” a source said.
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.
