GECs
BBC launches website to play on cricket frenzy
MUMBAI: UK broadcaster BBC has announced the launch of its website – bbcnews.com/cricket to coincide with the ongoing cricket World Cup.
The site, according to the Beeb, will have accurate reporting and lively debate. Aimed at supporters, sports fans and cricket lovers, it brings up-to-date news, views and features plus a number of unique items, including audio and video replay clips, live dynamic scorecards for each match, and three interactive cricket-based games.
BBC’s Managing Editor for South Asia Sam Miller says, “We’ve seized the opportunity to take the site beyond straight match reports. Informed and accurate news information remains at the heart of our offer, but we are also encouraging people of all age groups to interact with the BBC’s cricket experts. You can ask trivia questions through Ask Bearders, pick up important tips on how to improve your game through the Academy, and there are some great games to play – Sticky Wicket, Last Man Standing and Fantasy Cricket.
We have also lined up some of the best names in cricket to write exclusively for us in English and on our Hindi and Urdu sites. Allan Donald, Imran Khan, Arun Lal and Richard Pybus have centuries of experience between them and will bring very personal insights into our match reports. We are the only international media organisation to provide tri-lingual coverage of cricket’s biggest event.”
The BBC has also teamed up with Mumbai’s GO 92.5 FM to deliver pre- and post-match reports live from BBC correspondents in South Africa. BBC’s weekly chart countdown show UK Top 20 is also re-broadcast on 93.5 RED FM as well as short wave frequencies across India.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
