News Broadcasting
Star TV to launch new corporate identity campaign; drops TV from its name
Come 5 February and a new corporate campaign is slated to break across Asia. That of rebranding Star TV as Star. The campaign covers a high-pitch run in newspapers and magazines and possibly the outdoors later.
Star TV Asia chairman and CEO James Murdoch explains in a letter mailed to senior industry professionals has explained why TV is being dropped from the brand identity. He says that the past 10 years have seen a satellite TV broadcaster evolve into a company with strengths in:
The new Star logo
*Content (19,000 hours of programming; seven languages, 300 million viewers in 53 countries)
*Distribution (partnerships with companies such as GigaMedia in Taiwan, Hathway in India – which should see enhanced television services and electronic programme guides being introduced in 2001).
*Radio (for once it has admitted that it is involved in FM broadcasting though through its media partner Mittal who is launching six FM stations in 2001. “We believe the commercial FM market in India is one the most promising new media sectors in the region,” says Murdoch in the note.
*Internet (owned properties such as channelv.com, vindia.com, espnstar.com, partnerships with others such as netease.com, indya.com)
Murdoch adds that “by leveraging our brands, content, technology, local expertise and extensive infrastructure; and by forging important partnerships in key markets, we are actively creating the next generation of media connectivity in Asia. As STAR evolves from a television brand to a multi-service, multi-platform brand, we are evolving our identity from the media (i.e. from STAR TV) to the core of our brand, i.e. STAR.”
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.
