News Broadcasting
TV9 promotes political editor to managing editor’s job
NEW DELHI: Associated Broadcasting Co, which operates the TV9 network, has elevated Kartikeya Sharma to managing editor, handing the political journalist control of its newsroom after he spent the past two years climbing the ranks at rival News9 Broadcast TV.
Sharma, who joined News9 as deputy managing editor in July 2023, has boomeranged back to TV9, where he previously served as executive editor from March 2021 to July 2023. During that earlier stint, he anchored “Siyasat kee baat” and oversaw News9plus, billed as India’s first news-based streaming platform, whilst managing its podcast operation.
The 26-year veteran of Indian journalism cut his teeth as a sub-editor at The Asian Age in 1998 before moving through NDTV, The Week magazine, and two separate tours at India Today—where he rose from special correspondent to political editor over nearly a decade. He also logged time as chief political correspondent at News 24 and executive editor at NewsX, where he ran bureaus and occasionally helmed the channel.
His longest stretch came at Wion, Zee Network’s international news outfit, where he juggled dual roles as political editor and output editor from 2016 to 2021. The job sent him chasing stories across Myanmar, Syria, Congo, Vladivostok, Israel, Turkey and Indonesia—a globetrotting cv that included covering Japan’s tsunami and the bombing of India’s Kabul embassy.
Now back at TV9, Sharma faces the unenviable task of keeping viewers glued to linear television whilst everyone else pivots to streaming. Good luck with that.
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.
