News Broadcasting
BBC drives ‘Top Gear’ to the sea in global deals
MUMBAI: BBC Library Sales, a division of BBC Worldwide Limited, has secured major deals around the world for the hit motoring show Top Gear.
In a major licensing deal between BBC Worldwide and Walport International, the Merchant Navy is set to trade ships for cars, so to say. It has acquired six episodes of Top Gear for part of the onboard entertainment package on Shell, BP and other crew ships.
The series can also be seen from this month on TVN Turbo in Poland and Prime TV in New Zealand. Additionally, it will launch shortly on TV+, the pan-Europe Russian language channel.
BBC Library Sales sales and marketing director Paul Maidment was quoted in an official release saying, “The global appeal of Top Gear has been re-enforced by the raft of overseas deals. It is very satisfying to see variants of the show being broadcast throughout Europe, as well as in New Zealand and the Middle East. The fact that we also licensed the show to the Merchant Navy is further testament to the show’s popularity.”
The show is famous for its super-cars, stunts, time trials and road tests, and the sharp wit of its presenters, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. The BBC has stated that Top Gear has already become a success for broadcasters in Holland (Veronica channel, part of the SBS group in Holland), Norway (NRK) and the Middle East (MBC).
BBC Library Sales offers media professionals in advertising, commercials, television, film, interactive and corporate video production access to a comprehensive collection of high-quality motion imagery for licensing worldwide. It claims to have over 500 million feet of film and 300,000 hours of video at its disposal. Its content covers natural history, wildlife, news, locations, art, music, celebrities, culture, performing arts.
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.
