News Broadcasting
Viacom hatching plans for homosexual channel
MUMBAI: Gay television will shortly receive a shot in the arm. Media conglomerate Viacom is said to be interested in developing a homosexual themed channel for the US.
A Wall Street Journal report quoted the company’s chairman and CEO Sumner Redstonme saying that such a channel could be worth a billion dollars. Redstone regretted the fact that two years ago Viacom had shelved plans to launch a network dedicated to the gay community.
The plans are very much in the prelimnary stage and the proposed network has yet to be given a name. Another report in AP quoted Redstone saying that Viacom was “not a culprit. We were a victim” of Jackson’s Super Bowl performance. Viacom’s latest plans come on the heels of the success of shows such as Queer Eye For Straight Guy.
Viacom is conducting discussions with cable operators regarding the feasibility of such a channel. Redstone also seemed unconcerned about possible opposition from conservative and religious groups in the US.
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.
