News Broadcasting
CNN IBN launches special series on drought
MUMBAI: CNN IBN is launching a special series covering the drought-affected areas across the nation, the worst in recent times.
The channel, through its series Spectre of Drought, will try and analyse the impact of the drought throughout the week in the news wheel.
The news correspondents will travel to all the major states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The series will attempt to gauge just how bad the impact of the drought is and how much will it affect the common man in urban areas who are dependent on these rural areas for food supplies.
Says IBN18 Network editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai, “As the country witnesses a severe drought, CNN IBN brings Spectre of drought for it viewers to bring the real impact and effect of the drought in various parts of the country. The series will also look at the impact of drought on urban areas addressing problems like the food prices rising by the day.”
The series will cover places like Aurangabad in Bihar where farmers have now begun using guns to protect the scanty and precious water in their barely functioning irrigation canals. It will also show western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana amongst others.
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.
