News Broadcasting
BBC World News commissions new series ‘Changing Fortunes’
MUMBAI: BBC World News has announced ‘Changing Fortunes‘, a new six-part series that will challenge assumptions about patterns of wealth in the early 21st century. Produced by Films of Record and Duke& Earl, the series will broadcast from 2 February 2013. The show is sponsored by Coutts.
‘Changing Fortunes‘ takes a contemporary look at the new generation of wealthy men and women that have emerged in the last two decades. The fall of the Soviet Union, the liberalization of India and the opening of China have brought vast new markets into the global economy. The resulting commodities boom has created an explosion of wealth from Brazil to Africa. And the internet and technology continue to generate new fortunes.
As a result, the rich are getting younger, more female and less Western.
From India, the US, to Brazil, Europe, Africa and China – the series meets some of the innovators, entrepreneurs and business success stories whose fortunes offer a window into our rapidly changing world.
From the Nigerian entrepreneur heading one of Africa‘s largest energy companies to the world-renowned beauty expert and CEO of a leading US cosmetics company, each episode in the series profiles individuals who will reveal their extraordinary journeys to success.
BBC World News head of commissioning Mary Wilkinson said, ” ‘Changing Fortunes‘ offers a fascinating insight into the economic history of the last twenty years and the accumulation of wealth. All of the individual stories we feature are remarkable and demonstrate that the newly rich are diverse and very global.”
Coutts head of products, services and marketing Ian Ewart said, “Insight and deep understanding have driven Coutts‘ commitment to serving clients‘ needs for over 300 years, and that commitment remains as true today as it ever was. These outstanding programmes show how emerging trends find their origin in enduring client needs and how wealth generation originates from enduring truths. We want to answer the questions that wealth poses, and what it means today and for tomorrow.”
Duke and Earl client services director Marc Heal said, “Duke and Earl are proud to be producing this exciting series for BBC World News. ‘Changing Fortunes‘ will challenge expectations and reveal how global patterns of wealth are shifting in the new economic paradigm. We are at a fascinating turning point for the world economy and it is a controversial time to be rich. Each programme in ‘Changing Fortunes‘ will challenge expectations and offer viewers a unique glimpse into the motivations and aspirations of the new wealthy.”
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.
