News Broadcasting
Thackeray wants CAS in Delhi first
MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena stance on CAS remains unsoftened. Shiv Sena supremo chief Bal Thackeray, who had reportedly eased up on his objections to conditional access during his meeting with information and broadcasting minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday, has reiterated that his party continues to be opposed to CAS.
Thackeray now wants CAS to be first implemented in Delhi before it is taken to other cities, including his preserve, Mumbai. In a statement, Thackeray said in a statement, Implement CAS first in the national capital. If its successful there, then we will see about carrying it out in Mumbai.
The Sena supremo maintains that his talks with the minister remained inconclusive, while Prasad had on Friday, told the media that he had Thackeray’s blessings for CAS once his concerns about protecting consumers were assuaged.
Thackeray has in his statement said that he had told the minister that the Sena would not accept CAS just because the government had taken a decision on it. He made it clear that his party would consider agreeing to set-top boxes only if the interests of consumers and cable operators were protected.
The Sena chief warned that the government would have to pay a heavy price for forcing people to buy set-top boxes worth Rs 6,000. He had, last week, told the media that the government had struck a deal with a UK-based business magnate to dump set-top boxes in India.
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.
