News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide ties up with Pearson Education for new entity
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide Ltd and education company Pearson Education have formed a partnership to publish BBC-branded educational products and services under a new imprint called BBC Active.
The partnership will be co-owned by Pearson Education and BBC Worldwide, with BBC Worldwide holding a minority stake, and will sit alongside Pearson’s existing educational publishing businesses. BBC Worldwide will transfer its academic, consumer and English Language Teaching learning businesses to the new partnership, which will provide learning resources for both children and adults at school, college, university and at home in the UK under the BBC Active imprint.
Key existing products and services include:
Foreign language publishing, including Talk, French Experience and Quickstart.
Revision guide and study aid publishing, including Bitesize, ReviseWise, and Ten Minute Top Ups.
Adult personal development, parenting and business books, including Little Angels.
Educational publishing resources to support BBC television and radio programming for schools and Higher and Further Education. Major brands include Barnaby Bear and Magic Grandad (for the primary school market).
The partnership will be granted a first option to license relevant learning market rights in all new BBC properties to which BBC Worldwide has the relevant rights. The new partnership will work within BBC editorial and commercial policy guidelines to ensure that appropriate controls are maintained over BBC intellectual property.
The partnership combines BBC Worldwide’s strengths in intellectual property management and media-based publishing with Pearson Education’s heritage and publishing expertise, global sales and distribution capability, enabling the strategic expansion of BBC brands across the international learning market.
Pearson Education’s president of higher education, schools and professional Rod Bristow said, “Pearson Education and BBC Worldwide are natural partners in educational publishing. The BBC’s intellectual property, expertise with the moving image and its future programming output present us with a wonderful opportunity in a world where teachers are looking for innovative and interactive ways of delivering education. With our publishing expertise and scale, this is a powerful combination. We are looking forward to growing this business together.”
BBC Worldwide’s MD for home entertainment and learning Chris Weller said, “We are excited about this new partnership. The combination of our skills and intellectual property with Pearson Education’s publishing strengths and distribution scale will enable the business to develop and grow in the UK as well as internationally.”
This is the second business venture between a Pearson company and BBC Worldwide. On 30 April 2004, the Penguin Group and BBC Worldwide formed a new venture into which BBC Worldwide transferred its Children’s Books business, BBC Children’s Books, which comprises some of the world’s leading character properties, including Teletubbies, Tweenies, Fimbles and Bob the Builder. The venture allows them to be brought alongside Penguin’s existing children’s publishing portfolio, which includes Spot, Peter Rabbit, Ladybird books and Puffin.
News Broadcasting
News18 India launches Command Centre war explainer with Arya
New show shifts from debates to decoding global conflicts and impacts
MUMBAI: News18 India has rolled out a new war-focused programme, Command Centre, featuring Gaurav Arya, as it looks to offer viewers a sharper, more grounded take on global conflicts amid rising tensions in West Asia.
Positioned as an “insider war room”, the show moves away from conventional panel debates and instead focuses on explaining military developments, decoding strategy and connecting global events to their everyday impact, from fuel prices to economic shifts.
The format leans heavily on visuals and data. The studio has been designed like a command hub, complete with large LED war maps, real-time graphics and an alert system to track developments as they unfold.
At the centre of it all is Arya, who brings his military background to simplify complex war strategies for viewers. His signature line, “Seedhi baat samjhiye”, anchors the show’s promise of clarity over noise.
News18 India managing editor Jyoti Kamal said, “Command Centre, featuring Major Gaurav Arya is designed to deliver accurate insights and a clear perspective on how evolving conflicts impact everyday life, from household budgets to national security. With expert voices analysing every development in real time, the show goes beyond headlines to decode what’s happening now, what it means, and what could come next.”
Echoing the intent, Gaurav Arya added, “In times of war, confusion is the biggest threat. With News18 India’s Command Centre, we are bringing viewers inside the war room, decoding strategies, tracking every escalation, and explaining, in the simplest terms, what it means for India and for every household. Seedhi baat samjhiye, this is where you understand not just what is happening, but what happens next.”
The weekday show will air in the afternoon slot and will also feature Gaurav Shukla, adding to its editorial depth.
With its mix of analysis, visuals and a clear focus on impact, the show reflects a broader shift in news consumption. Viewers are no longer just watching events unfold, they are looking to understand what those events mean for them.
