News Broadcasting
CNN’s Larry King to moderate panel at Natpe
MUMBAI: Some top industry talent and executives have been roped in to participate at the National Association of Television Program Executives’ (Natpe) conference and exhibition from 18-20 January 2004, at the Sands Expo Center and Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, USA.
CNN’s Larry King will be moderating the panel on ‘Loose Cannons: They Say What They Mean and Mean What They Say’. Other speakers include Variety editor-in-chief Peter Bart and Mandalay Entertainment head Peter Guber, who will jointly host NATPE’s popular morning ‘Coffee With…’ sessions.
Some interesting session at the Natpe include: ‘Is free TV worth saving in a 500 Channel World?’ and ‘The Hit Seekers’.
At the occasion, natpe and MIP-TV will also jointly present ‘German Television: What Lies Ahead?’, which will feature Paramount International Television President Gary Marenzi and ProSiebenSat 1 Media President and CEO Urs Rohner and will be moderated by Daily Variety executive editor Elizabeth Guider.
Additional subjects of its series of ‘The Chat Room’ sessions have also been introduced during the conference, announced Natpe CEO Ronald Feldman. Natpe 2004 will see a comprehensive schedule of topical panel discussions which will have some of television’s senior-most executives discussing the current state of the global industry.
Topics that will be emphasised are the economy, advertising market, television production and distribution both in the US and internationally, brand integration into programming, cable television, career management and new technology.
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.
