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
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.
