News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide ex-CEO Gavin sets up Kingdom Media
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide’s former CEO Rupert Gavin has set up an investment group Kingdom Media. The investment company would bid for the Corporations’ commercial assets, that may be sold off.
The investment group is likely to bid for any assets that the BBC decides to sell off after the review of BBC Worldwide is complete. It could also form partnerships with the corporation..
Gavin, who quit the BBC in July is understood to have partnered with a number of private equity firms to create the investment company that could work with the BBC on joint ventures or pursue acquisitions, media reports inform. .
Earlier this year BBC sold its technology arm to Siemens. Other businesses within the BBC umbrella are now seen as ripe for privatisation, such as the outside broadcast division, on-air branding, post-production and BBC studios.
While a wholesale sale of BBC Worldwide may be off the cards BBC DG Mark Thompson hasn’t ruled out the possibility of setting up joint-ventures with private sector partners to run certain BBCWW arms, such as publishing, licensing and merchandise.
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.
