News Broadcasting
BBC News records 11% jump in worldwide audience in 2020
NEW DELHI: India topped the audience count for BBC News with 60.4 million people watching the UK-based public broadcaster in 2020, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. BBC witnessed a growth of 11 per cent in its worldwide audience as compared to 2019, reaching 486.2 million per week, with India leading the jump in viewership followed by the US with 49.5 million and Nigeria with 37.2 million in the audience.
“BBC News was the strongest performer, making up 438.4 million of the total (an increase of 13 per cent), with digital platforms proving key. A total of 151 million users now access BBC News digitally, according to the annual Global Audience Measure, up 53 per cent on 2019,” BBC shared.
In late March 2020, at the initial stages of the novel coronavirus pandemic's global spread, BBC News recorded the highest reach of any international media organisation in the world with 310 million people accessing coverage across 42 languages.
"We are without question one of Britain’s strongest and best-known brands, synonymous with quality and accuracy worldwide," said outgoing director-general Tony Hall. "Our international news services rank first for trust and reliability and the World Service remains a beacon of democratic values. Independent research shows that there is an exceptionally high correlation between places where people are aware of the BBC and places where people think positively about the UK. More than that, the BBC helps UK trade."
He added, "This has perhaps never been more important. The UK will forge a new relationship with the world in the decade ahead, built on an ambitious vision of 'Global Britain'. Success will mean drawing on all our considerable international assets, and that means unleashing the full global potential of the BBC."
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.
