News Broadcasting
BBC commemorates tsunami anniversary with specials
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC is marking the first anniversary of the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 with some specially commissioned programming.
On Radio 4, the Tsunami Audio Memorial on 17 December 2005 has created a memorial in sound and gathered sounds and stories for an historic audio tribute to the region and the people affected by the tsunami. In collaboration with the World Service and the Asian Network, listeners and online readers were invited to send in their stories, testimonies and sounds.
Whether it’s Indonesian fishermen bringing in their early morning catch, conch shells being blown at dawn and dusk in Hindu households, or the cacophony of a traffic-filled street in Thailand, not forgetting the sea, the birds and the wildlife, this is an evocative and unique collection of sounds.
These are stories by those who lived to tell the tale. The programme will also be a memorial, in sound, to those who didn’t. Overturning The Tide on Radio 4 tells the the extraordinary story of one man’s journey from despair to finding hope. On 26 December last year, within the space of a few minutes, Karibeeran Paramesvaran’s life changed irrevocably. All three of his children died when the deadly tsunami wave hit the shores of their home town, Nagapattinam, on the southern tip of India.
Journey to the Heart of the Tsunami airs on BBC One on 21 December. This brings an underwater expedition to journey to the source of the tsunami, over three miles down, deep below the ocean surface. Viewers will come face to face with the damage caused when two of the Earth’s tectonic plates smash into each other.
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.
