News Broadcasting
BBC launches online Hindi magazine, Dev Anand is the guest editor
MUMBAI: BBC World’s hindi website, bbchindi.com has launched its first internet magazine, BBC Patrika, with actor and film maker Dev Anand as their special guest editor. Incorporating all the regular features that used to be part of the website’s Entertainment index, BBC Patrika will also carry a range of original material, including stories, poetry and interviews.
Editor of bbchindi.com Salma Zaidi explains, “We want to attract new users to our online site, and with BBC Patrika, we can widen scope to include features and thought-provoking articles which, we hope, will engage users looking for something more than just Bollywood and fashion.”
“bbchindi.com will invite well-known names to write for BBC Patrika, and to ensure it constantly feels fresh and lively, we will have a new guest editor every three months,” adds Zaidi.
Commenting on Dev Anand addition to magazine as the special guest editor, Salma Zaidi says,”Dev Anand is a perfect example. He is an acclaimed living legend with decades of expertise entertaining and informing the public. He also has a keen eye for the issues concerning Hindi-speakers across the world.”
Taking on his new role, a elated Dev Anand says, “My association with the BBC goes a long way. I was first interviewed by the BBC in the fifties. When bbchindi.com approached me to be a guest editor for BBC Patrika, I was pleasantly surprised.”
“I have played innumerable roles in my lifetime, but never that of an Editor. There is something that is common between BBC and myself. I have never copied anyone and in that regard I am ‘exclusive’. And so is the BBC. Apart from this, I have always accepted challenges and I feel BBC Hindi Online has also been doing this all the time,” added Anand.
BBC Hindi programmes are produced from studios in London and New Delhi and are set in a rolling format, with news, current affairs and features.
The interactive morning and evening programmes, Aaj Ke Din and Aaj Kal bring the BBC Hindi listeners news, analysis and interviews on a range of issues, from current affairs and careers to showbiz and sports.
BBC Hindi is available on short-wave and medium-wave radio transmitters and via cable television. Hindi-speakers across the world can access BBC Hindi programmes in text and in audio at the 24/7 site bbchindi.com
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
