News Broadcasting
CNN unveils global ‘CNN Heroes’ initiative
MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN has launched a global initiative to showcase CNN Heroes. These are ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary deeds in areas ranging from the environment to civil rights. Culminating in a year-end awards gala, the network will honor the most outstanding of viewer-submitted nominees from around the world. The “CNN Heroes” initiative is the first of its kind for the network.
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, along with an array of notable co-hosts to be announced later this year, will present the winners of “The CNN Hero Awards” during a special live global broadcast on 6 December. The gala will include musical performances and documentary tributes to those being honored as well as to their accomplishments and continued work.
Walton said, “Our journalists come across these individuals every single day on the job, but they do not always get to tell these inspiring stories. With the help of our global audience, we turn the spotlight on those people who serve as an example of how a single person can make a difference.”
From 1 May 2007 till September CNN’s networks and services, including CNN, Headline News and CNN.com, will feature examples of “everyday heroes” and encourage viewers to submit and nominate people in their own communities whom they find deserving of a CNN Hero Award. CNN International and CNN en Español will begin airing the profiles in June. Nomination forms will be available online at www.CNN.com/Heroes. A blue-ribbon panel will select the winners.
Awards will be given in the following categories: “Defending the Planet,” innovative efforts to preserve and protect the environment; “Fighting for Justice,” advancing the cause of civil or equal rights; “Community Crusader,” creating solutions to a local program or social issue; “Medical Marvel,” dedication to the enhancement of human health; “Championing Children,” commitment to the welfare of young people; and “Young Wonder,” outstanding achievement by a person under the age of 18.
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.
