News Broadcasting
CNN to air docu ‘Surviving the Tsunami’
MUMBAI: CNN International will air the NHK-produced documentary ‘Surviving the Tsunami’ on 24 July at 4:30 pm.
Utilising Japanese broadcaster NHK’s footage and amateur videos, Surviving the Tsunami gives viewers a look at the destructive power of the catastrophic tsunami on 11 March 2011 and the tales of human survival.
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the northern coast of Japan was the worst ever recorded in Japan, generating a tsunami of an unprecedented scale, obliterating coastal villages and towns in a matter of minutes. In some areas, the tsunami reached close to 39 meters (128 feet) in height and traveled five kilometers (3.1 miles) inland.
Surviving the Tsunami shows exclusive NHK footage on ground and from the air in the badly-hit Tohoku region, only minutes after the earthquake, following the event closely as it unfolded. Together with invaluable videos recorded by local residents, the documentary provides an in-depth analysis of the mechanism of the tsunami and reveals how some people made narrow escapes.
The production team identified and interviewed individuals who appear on the disaster footage: a woman and her elderly mother clinging onto a rooftop shouting for help, a man in a car floating in the gushing water, and a policeman stranded on the bed of his truck as the vehicle is engulfed by the tsunami.
Living just kilometers away from the sea, when and how did these people realise the tsunami was coming? What was their reaction as they found themselves submerged in the muddy waters? And most importantly, how did they manage to stay alive?
Surviving the Tsunami finds out from first-hand accounts of those who outlived the waves, shedding light on the essential skills of survival in the face of life-threatening situations.
The programme also explores the science behind the enormous strength of the tsunami which caused immense destruction to the Tohoku region. Due to its historical prevalence to tsunamis, the Tohoku coast has already had various measures in place to prevent the waters from reaching its shores, including the world’s tallest breakwater.
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.
