News Broadcasting
BSkyB launches Sky+ remote record service enabled by weComm technology
MUMBAI: BSkyB, the UK’s leading provider of pay-TV services, has launched its Sky+ remote record service using weComm’s wave platform. It enables customers to maximise the value of their content by providing sophisticated, personalised services for mobile devices.
Sky customers will be able to set their Sky+ to record their favourite shows using a mobile phone – either by sending a text message or with Sky by mobile. If they have downloaded the Sky by mobile application they can view Sky’s seven-day TV guide on their phone and select programmes to record. The guide they see on their phone looks similar to Sky’s light blue on-screen guide and enables people to browse listings and view programme details on the move.
Sky by mobile is available on a large range of handsets, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola and the RIM Blackberry, according to an official release.
weComm COO Oliver Sturrock commented: “This is the first time that TV viewers will be able to remotely record their favourite programmes using a mobile phone from anywhere in the world.
“We started working with Sky two years ago. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our technology to adapt to theirs and, ultimately, their subscribers’ needs. The launch of the Remote Record for Sky+ is a good example of how our collaboration with Sky is meeting those needs.
“Our technology has proven to be very reliable for building applications designed for the mass market and we are now seeing tremendous demand, particularly from the media industry.”
This is the third phase of weComm’s collaboration with Sky. The first generation of Sky by mobile was launched in June 2005 and provided the latest news stories and videos from Sky Sports and Sky News, up to the minute sports events scores and personalised services to users. It also allows viewers to place bets on sporting events through their Skybet account.
In January 2006, weComm developed the second phase of the technology allowing viewers to subscribe to and watch Sky TV channels live on their handsets – Sky Mobile TV.
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.
