News Broadcasting
Disney signs VoD deal in Germany
MUMBAI: Disney’s international TV distribution arm Buena Vista International Television (BVITV) has concluded a multi-year agreement with German video-on-demand (Vod) operator HanseNet.
The German firm will air a selection of upcoming, current and library movies from BVITV’s portfolio on its new set top box VOD and TV service Alice homeTV.
With this agreement, Alice homeTV’s customers will be able to enjoy a selection of current and upcoming features from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films via the new set top box service.
Titles include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, its upcoming sequel The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. The agreement also includes recent titles such as Flightplan and Cinderella Man. Subscribers will also be able to enjoy a selection of library features, and a selection of local German acquisitions such as Die Wilden Kerle 3.
The agreement also includes provisions for co-operation between BVITV and Alice against piracy of BVITV’s content, while at the same time appropriately safeguarding the privacy of Alice’s service subscribers and remaining consistent with local law. Under the agreement, Alice will forward notices to its internet subscribers allegedly engaged in the unauthourised distribution of BVITV’s copyrighted works, without identifying the subscribers to BVITV.
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.
