News Broadcasting
BBC promotes Arabic FM service through billboard
MUMBAI: The BBC is the first international broadcaster to win permission for a billboard in Baghdad. After months of negotiation with pre- and post-handover of Iraqi authorities, the 14×4 meter billboard, promoting BBC Arabic radio and online, has been erected on top of a large office building in the commercial Al Mansour district.
Promoting the BBC’s 89FM frequency with the strapline, ‘The World, Your News in Arabic’, the campaign reinforces the importance Iraqi people place on impartial and objective news from the BBC. Over 3.3 million people in Iraq are now listening to the BBC in Arabic, many of them tuning into the seven new FMs the BBC has launched across the country, informs the official release.
BBC World Service International marketing head Jane Futrell says, “It has been a real challenge for the team getting a billboard into Iraq, the timing and location took months to negotiate but research proves our audience is growing rapidly on FM. There is a need for impartial international news and it is important people know how to access us.”
The billboard is sited above an optician and is the latest stage in the BBC’s ongoing marketing campaign in Iraq. The other activity includes a map/ calendar for Baghdad residents and print advertising to promote the new FM frequencies in the Iraqi national daily Azzaman and a range of pan-Arab newspapers.
The UK based company – Virtuality – designed the artwork and the site was sourced and negotiated by Creative Media in the UK and the Lebanon-based contractor, Picasso, states the official release.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
