News Broadcasting
Inmarsat becomes the first global sponsor of the World Rally Championship
Inmarsat Limited, the global mobile satellite communications company has signed a contract to become the first global sponsor of the World Rally Championship commencing next year. International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) owns the TV and commercial rights to the World Rally Championship.
ISC has been specifically targeting Inmarsat for this sponsorship as it is anticipated that the company's groundbreaking satellite and technological capabilities will help develop new aspects of the live TV product. ISC's vision is to be a top five global sports content provider to broadcast media by 2005.
Inmarsat will be the WRC's exclusive global partner and will benefit from considerable branding opportunities during the course of the 14-race season. WRC gives Inmarsat a high profile and highly demanding showcase for the company's world-leading communications solutions such as Global Area Network, a high speed data solution used extensively in Afghanistan recently by broadcasters reporting the news through live satellite videophone.
Michael Butler managing director of Inmarsat Ltd. said, "We are extremely excited about this opportunity to work with the World Rally Championship, the most exciting and challenging sporting events in the world.
This sponsorship will have a significant impact on driving and indeed accelerating our brand awareness across our core enterprise markets, as well as providing a unique opportunity for our partners to participate with us and leverage off our title sponsorship.
We will also benefit from a comprehensive set of promotion rights both at all the individual Rallies and other marketing programmes, which will make this an extremely exciting opportunity for us."
The WRC runs from January to November and includes 14 races in four continents in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia Pacific and will be broadcast to over 186 different countries.
Inmarsat Ltd owns and operates a global satellite network and delivers its solutions through a global distribution network of approximately 200 distributors and other service providers operating in over 150 countries to end users in the maritime, land and aeronautical sectors.
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.
