News Broadcasting
Animal Planet to showcase ‘Great Savannah Race’
MUMBAI: The great wildebeest migration in East Africa is an annual feature. For over a million years, 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras and gazelles undertake a dramatic journey from the vast open plains of the Serengeti to the champagne coloured hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Animal Planet uses cutting edge technology to show this natural wonder. The event will be presented as a wildlife reality show, following the million-plus participants as they run the frantic 800-kilometer Great Savannah Race. The three part series will air on 17, 18 and 19 July at 8 pm.
Why do the animals carry out this yearly migration? Is it the wind that guides them? Or a sixth sense which leads them in search of rain-ripened grass? And, who will survive the journey and cross the finish line first? The show filmed in high-definition sets out to answer all these questions. The journey begins in Tanzania with veterinarian Patrick Garcia and scientists Anja Brinch Jensen and Sophie Grange.
Their first goal is to fit 10 animals (seven wildebeests and three zebras) with collars so they can be tracked throughout the epic journey via satellite. The collars, equipped with miniature Global Positioning System (GPS) monitors, satellite transmitters and a VHF radio system, allows the participants to be located within a radius of 1 meter. With the help of Technical Coordinator Sébastien Lafont, the scientists hope to gain a better understanding of the great migration which will help them preserve the fragile equilibrium of the eco-system.
The long and dangerous trek is fraught with danger. More than 250,000 animals will die along the way from sheer exhaustion, and the migration is relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators – lions, cheetahs, hyenas, vultures and crocodiles – waiting for an opportunity to strike weak prey. Most dramatic of all is the moment when the migration arrives at the crocodile infested Mara River, which must be crossed in order to reach the rich grazing. As the bravest takes the initial plunge into the swirling currents, thousands follow – many to inevitable death.
The series follows the daily trials and tribulations of the 10 main characters, all of whom have been earmarked by the scientists as those most likely to complete the journey. Who amongst the main competitors is predicted to win the race? The young male bursting with energy; the old, yet experienced veteran or the female and her newborn calf?
For the first time, The Great Savannah Race follows the vast migration from the start to the finish line, capturing all the drama, mystery, intrigue, tragedy and heroic deeds of this truly epic saga.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
