News Broadcasting
Al Jazeera English expects to launch in India by 2009
NEW DELHI: Al Jazeera is awaiting downlink clearance from the government and expects to enter the Indian market by early 2009.
“We had a meeting yesterday with the information and broadcasting ministry and cleared out certain apprehensions they had about the association of Al Jazeera Arabic with the English Channel. We had applied for clearance some time back and are now hopeful that we would be able to start operations in India by early 2009,” says Al Jazeera English managing director Tony Burman.
The Middle East-based news channel has a picture sharing arrangement with India TV news, adds Burman.
After getting the clearance, Al Jazeera will consider partnering with an Indian broadcaster. “Since India is a huge country and we have just one member team here, we may partner with a few local broadcasters or even the public broadcaster,” says Burman.
The channel gained popularity when it aired popular terrorist Osama Bin Laden’s tapes.
Clearing the air, Burman explains: “It would be unfair to say that Al Jazeera is the easily accessible channel for terrorist groups. Osama Bin Laden’s tapes were aired by CBC, BBC and CNN as well. The fact is that in Middle East Al Jazzera has earned a reputation and Laden wanted to reach out to people through our popular medium. So the tapes were sent to us. In fact, there are many tapes that we have not aired. However, at the same time Al Jazeera English is not responsible for Al Jazeera Arabic’s content. We have a separate team and operate on our own.”
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.
