News Broadcasting
BBC’s ‘Next Big Thing’ global music contest announces finalists
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster The BBC’s international search for the world’s best young band or solo artist is heading towards the finale with young musicians from Armenia, Brazil, Ghana, Malawi, UK and USA winning their way into the final.
The shortlisted finalists are Silva (Armenia), Sweet Cherry Fury (Brazil), Mishkini (Ghana), NiC (Nick Giannakis) (Malawi), The Skagz (UK), Stefan Abingdon (UK) MLK and the Dreamers (USA).
The seven finalists are expected to fly into the UK next week to perform at the BBC’s famous Maida Vale studios. The Next Big Thing is showcasing musicians who are 18 or under, compose original tracks and are unsigned. The shortlist was judged by a global panel of music industry names including critics, artists, record label pioneers and industry heavyweights.
The BBC initially planned to shortlist six finalists, but the global panel came up with seven names. The Next Big Thing producer Simon Pitts explains: “We had such a high standard of entries it was simply impossible to get it down to six.”
One of the panellists, British writer and broadcaster, Miranda Sawyer, described Silva and her song I Like as “unnervingly sophisticated”.
UK-based Gareth Simpson, who recently developed Oxjam – Oxfam’s most ambitious music event ever – said he liked the range of influences evident on Silva’s performance: “There’s an eastern feel fused with a contemporary R&B.”
Ilka Schlockermann, German-born and now UK-based musician, producer and publicist, described Mishkini’s 3 Eyez as “an interesting, mellow track” while Sergio Dias, the lead singer and founder of internationally-acclaimed Brazilian band Os Mutantes, liked the rhythm division of Mishkini’s melody which he described as “simple but hearty”.
The tracks can be heard at bbcworldservice.com/thenextbigthing. The Next Big Thing final will take place on 9 December 2006 in a special programme. Producer William Orbit (of Madonna, Robbie Williams and Sugababes fame) will be joined by world music legends Cathy Dennis, Angelique Kidjo, Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis (Antony & The Johnsons, The Strokes, The Smiths) and special guest Peter Gabriel in a live show to select the winner from six finalists.
The competition is part of a week of programmes from BBC World Service, Generation Next, which explores the real issues in the world according to under-18s.
News Broadcasting
News18 India to air Sabse Bada Dangal on 4 May counting day
Channel promises fastest results, live trends and analysis across five states.
MUMBAI: Ballots will do the talking and screens will do the shouting. As counting day approaches for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry, News18 India is gearing up for an all-day broadcast of its flagship election show, Sabse Bada Dangal, on 4 May from 6 am onwards. The Hindi news channel plans to deliver continuous, real-time updates as votes are tallied, combining live counting data with on-ground reporting and studio analysis. With political fortunes set to shift through the day, the coverage will track every swing, surge and surprise as trends turn into results.
The broadcast will feature a mix of senior political leaders, analysts and experts, offering instant reactions and decoding the evolving electoral picture. Expect heated debates, quick takes and detailed breakdowns as the numbers settle across all five states.
For News18 India, counting day has long been a high-visibility moment. The network is banking on its reporting reach, editorial bandwidth and technology-driven coverage to stay ahead in what is often a fiercely competitive news cycle.
With multiple battlegrounds and shifting narratives, the day promises both drama and data in equal measure. And if all goes to plan, Sabse Bada Dangal will once again turn the counting of votes into prime-time spectacle.
