News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide channel’s director Wayne Dunsford calls it quits
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide channel’s director Wayne Dunsford has announced that he will step down from his post at the end of this month.
Dunsford moved to his current role in 1998 from European Channel Management Limited where he was GM. His sales and distribution lead at ECM had seen the rapid growth in distribution of BBC World to more than 35 million homes and the doubling of BBC Prime’s subscription base. As director, he had led business development, sales, marketing, programming and all operational aspects of BBC Worldwide’s channels business.
He has seen BBC Prime, subtitled in 12 languages, launch beyond its traditional European base into Africa, the Middle East and Asia (including Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Korea), with over 24 million global subscribers. Under his leadership, in 2001 BBC Prime was the first of BBC Worldwide’s channels to deliver a profit.
He also oversaw the launch in 2002 of the profitable BBC Food in Africa, subsequently launched in Scandinavia and across the Middle East. he secured more than a 70% increase in total channel sales and contribution in his area in the past five years alone.
He said, “I have had an inspiring and exciting 17 years with BBC Worldwide. I have been fully involved in the development of BBC Prime and BBC Food and have worked on other channel assets and JVs witnessing the businesses’ rapid and impressive growth first hand. I have also had the pleasure of working with an exceptional team throughout.
“BBC Worldwide’s new channel business is now well placed to build on what has been achieved. I now want to explore other opportunities and to use my skills and experience more widely in the global market.”
BBC Worldwide MD global channels Darren Childs said, “Wayne has made an enormous contribution to BBC Worldwide’s channel business over many years. He has been an excellent ambassador for us, forging close relationships with our customers around the world. We thank Wayne for his passion and commitment and wish him every success for the future.”
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.
