News Broadcasting
BBC Broadcast sale enters next phase
MUMBAI: The BBC has launched, on Thursday, the next stage of the sale process for its commercial subsidiary BBC Broadcast Ltd (“BBC Broadcast”). The sale is subject to the final approval of the BBC Governors and Executive Board and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Eighteen organisations, buyers from both finance and industry, are being taken through to the next round. The list of financial bidders includes – Advent International, Apax Partners Worldwide LLP, Bank of Scotland Corporate, Barclays Pvt Equity, Bridgepoint, Exponent Pvt Equity, HgCapital, Kleinwort Capital LTD, Montagu Pvt Equity, Palamon Capital Partners LP and The Carlyle Group.
BBC business development director Peter Phillips was quotd by international media reports as saying, “We were really impressed with both the number and quality of companies expressing a serious interest in buying BBC Broadcast.
“We will shortly be beginning a rigorous evaluation of the 18 bidders, including assessing their effectiveness as long term business partners of the BBC and their cultural fit, to produce a shortlist towards the end of May.”
BBC Broadcast is Europe’s leading expert in the distribution and promotion of multimedia content and it offers a comprehensive range of services to play-out, publish, promote and provide media access for content across all media, from TV to mobile phones.
The sale follows on from the corporation’s internal review of its commercial businesses. The review team concluded that, whilst the services provided by BBC Broadcast are vital to the BBC, they did not necessarily need to remain owned by the BBC.
The BBC believes that the combination of a new commercial owner and a partnership approach with the successful bidder will mean that the BBC can continue the strong relationship it has built up with BBC Broadcast.
A new owner will provide the business with opportunities for growth which are not available whilst it is owned by the BBC, but with the stability of an on-going contract in place with the BBC.
It is expected that the sale of BBC Broadcast and its management and staff to the successful bidder will take place by the end of the summer, subject to contract negotiations and regulatory approvals.
The BBC will be in full consultation with unions throughout the sale process.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
