News Broadcasting
Griffiths to be replaced by three execs at MGM
MUMBAI: Now that’s a ‘power’ shift. With MGM worldwide television distribution president Jim Griffiths taking on new reponsibilities, three veteran MGM executives have been called in to take over his responsibility, with immediate effect.
MGM vice chairman and chief operating officer Chris McGurk announced that with Griffiths joining Playboy Enterprises, three executives: television distribution North America, executive vice president Jim Packer, international television, executive vice president Simon Sutton, and MGM Networks, executive vice president, Bruce Tuchman, will be jointly sharing his responsibilities.
According to a company release, the three executives will work in tandem with MGM television entertainment president Hank Cohen in running MGM’s worldwide television group.
The three report directly to McGurk and will divide Griffiths’ share of duties in running the group and continue to aggressively expand and strengthen MGM television operations both domestically and abroad.
Says McGurk, “We wish Jim Griffiths all the best with his new responsibilities at Playboy, and thank him for all the great work he’s done for MGM’s television distribution over the years. Most importantly, he’s left a terrific management team in place. Jim Packer, Simon Sutton and Bruce Tuchman are three experienced and talented executives who have been integral to MGM’s successes. Now they’ll take on some new responsibilities with much higher profiles both inside the company and out.”
Packer and Tuchman joined MGM in 2001 as executive vice president. Sutton joined MGM in 1996 and was promoted to executive vice president in 2001, adds the release.
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.
