News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide’s Brdcast, Resources divisions on sale
MUMBAI: The times are a changing at BBC Worldwide. Earlier this month the BBC’s commercial arm sold its women’s magazine Eve to UK publishing group Haymarket.
Now media reports indicate that BBC Broadcast and BBC Resources could be the next to go.
Next month BBC Worldwide’s board is expected to approve a plan which involves selling five businesses. This will lead to several hundred job losses and disposals of non-core businesses such as audio books and educational publishing.
A report in The Guardian states that the sale of BBC Broadcast is imminent. The corporation is expected to put out an ad to this effect in trade publications next month. BBC Broadcast is involved in among other things designing the look, feel of channels. BBC’s channels make up 80 per cent of BBC Broadcast’s business. BBC Broadcast employs about 1,000 people in three divisions.
Meanwhile BBC Resources’ divisions include studios, costumes and outside broadcast (for sports ). The management is said to be keen to put long-term contracts in place with the BBC before any sale. BBC Worldwide is also looking for joint venture partners for its audio books division. For BBC Learning the corporation is already talking to educational publishers such as Pearson in the UK.
After Eve other publications that the BBC is expected to sell from the magazine division include Your Hair. Rivals such as IPC and Emap were disappointed that the BBC did not decide to sell more of its top-selling magazines. However the BBC is said to be determined not to sell Radio Times.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
