News Broadcasting
TV Today Network to replace Business Today with Aaj Tak HD
MUMBAI: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has granted permission to the TV Today Network to change the name and logo of news and current affairs TV channel Business Today to Aaj Tak HD in a letter dated 27 August 2018. TV Today Network had written to MIB requesting for these approvals on 12 October 2017.
“The Stock Exchange would be duly intimated before the launch of the channel ‘Aaj Tak HD’”, the company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) today.
Apart from the logo and name change, the channel will also witness a change in transmission mode from SD to HD and a language switch from English to Hindi.
In the same letter, MIB also approved the appointment of India Today Group CEO Vivek Khanna, who took over the position in November last year.
Aaj Tak is the leading channel in all the three Hindi speaking markets according to the BARC data. The channel announced a hike in its ad rates earlier this week.
Aaj Tak recalibrated its rates after indexing inventory and latest leadership performance across parameters.
Commenting on the latest development, TV Today CRO Rahul Shaw said, “Given its unchallenged viewership and unparalleled following, Aaj Tak is now strategically looking at lowering inventory and compensating it with a premium pricing. With leadership across hsm, all india, urban, rural, coverage and prime time and almost a quarter of news viewership with only one news channel on big news time bands, it is important that the leader helps the genre improve yields “.
India Today Group CEO Vivek Khanna added, “The most influential news brand of the country has been a role model for many to follow. Truth, integrity and unconventional methods of news reporting really leave no competition in sight.”
In BARC’s week 33 data, the channel garnered 214534 impressions (000s) sum in the urban plus rural market. In the rural market, the channel’s recorded viewership was 102312 impressions (000s) sum. The urban market helped the channel register 112222 impressions (000s) sum.
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.
