GECs
CNN announces international journalism initiatives
MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN in the US has donated $1 million to the Asian American Journalists Association (Aaja), the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists for scholarships for minority students pursuing journalism.
CNN US president Jim Walton made the announcement on behalf of CNN’s more than 4,000 employees during the 2005 World Report Conference in Atlanta and in conjunction with the cable news network’s 25th anniversary.
The announcement comes as CNN prepares to celebrate 10 years of its longest-standing international initiative for journalists, the annual CNN Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Award, which takes place on 25 June in Nairobi. CNN will also announces a series of new CNN Journalist Awards in Germany, Brazil and pan-Latin America, to complement its existing initiatives to support journalism around the world. This will sit alongside existing Journalist and Student Awards in India and Korea.
Walton said, “CNN prides itself on being the world’s news leader, providing news to more people in more places than any other news organisation. But news organisations are only as strong as their journalists, and it is imperative that the diversity of our journalists reflects the diversity of the world they cover. This donation will help ensure that diversity, by directly supporting the efforts of three outstanding organizations that encourage minority journalism students.”
CNN’s previously mentioned $1 million donation, which will be evenly split among the three organisations, will be used to create a CNN25 Scholars Programme. Rigorous criteria for scholarships would likely require demonstrated journalistic excellence, consistent with the values of CNN, and a commitment to community involvement.
CNN is also a long-standing supporter of the Rory Peck Foundation, and the International News Safety Institute (INSI). Last year it announced a new three year bursary, to the Nairobi-based Mohamed Amin Foundation’s Television Training Centre. This provides an annual scholarship to the Centre, which was founded in honour of the late award-winning cameraman and .producer Mohamed Amin, who died in a plane crash in 1996.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
