News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak’s Avinash Pandey switches to Star News; to head sales in north and east
MUMBAI: Star News is still upfront on its restructuring plans for its ad sales functions. And it is from lead Hindi news channel Aaj Tak that the latest recruitment has come. Avinash Pandey, senior manager ad sales at TV Today, joins Star News in “a couple of weeks” and will heading sales in the north and east .
He will be based out of New Delhi and will report in to Star News head of sales Prabal Ganguly. Confirming the development, Ganguly says, “He has a lot of understanding up North. This knowledge would prove critical and significant for our sales operations. We are hoping that his experience at Aaj Tak would help us realise our growth objectives in the region.”
Ganguly highlighted the importance of the North and East India region as vital as it contributes more than half of the overall revenues in India.
“As the channel is gearing up to set up a new sales team, we have inducted professionals from diverse backgrounds,” he says. Pandey’s association with Aaj Tak has been for four years.
Ganguly reports directly to Star News CEO Uday Shankar, and the ad sales division will be functioning as an independent unit and not a part of the Star network.
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.
