News Broadcasting
Christian Brent takes a senior position in BBC Worldwide’s global channels business
MUMBAI: In the first appointment of its kind for BBC Worldwide’s Global Channels business, the division’s MD Darren Childs has announced Christian Brent as VP, audiences.
As part of his new role, Brent will provide Global Channels with genuine insight into international audiences. He will identify and interpret local demands and make recommendations on strategic and creative decisions through market and pre-market-entry, research and assessment.
Childs said, “Our goal is to deliver top performing channels that appeal to the local audience. With Christian’s appointment, I have put audiences at the centre of everything we do. Global Channels serve over 140 countries worldwide therefore a deeper understanding of audiences and how best to serve them will be one of the biggest contributors to our success.”
Brent said, “I am very proud to be joining BBC Worldwide’s global channels business at this hugely exciting period in its development. It’s especially exciting to work with the amazing quality and range of programming we have here, and I’m looking forward to bringing my experience from other consumer-facing industries to bear in launching some truly great global channel brands.”
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.
