News Broadcasting
Discovery US probing the reality genre
MUMBAI: Last year Discovery US entered the reality genre with American Chopper. The documentary style reality series chronicled a family-owned motorcycle building business in a small upstate New York town. Encouraged by the response the broadcaster is said to be developing 12 primetime pilots.
A Reuters report indicates that the broadcaster is trying to find new ways to innovate its Discovery genres. Discovery already has begun airing pilots on Friday nights and gauging their ratings performance in consideration of a full-series order. Gold Star Racing a three-episode arc about the world of go-kart competition is being tested, with Discovery expected to make a decision soon. Another potential series being prepared focuses on a family in the Alaskan crab fishing business.
Meanwhile film and video production company Hoggard Films will produce Forbidden Zone for the broadcaster. The show is expected to go on air during the last quarter of the year. This 13-part series will explore the culture of urban exploration. It will go into abandoned structures, tunnels, bridges, towers, the hidden zones in American cities where people fear to walk into or at least have no idea that they exist.
Hoggard Films is in the process of assembling a team comprising of four individuals with plenty of flair, expertise and character. They will set out on various exotic urban adventures. At each stop they will meet members of the local urban exploration community, who will help them along their way.
The company has announced a casting call. People interested have to submit tapes of themselves by 13 February. The people being sought are
– An adventurous, dynamic, structural engineer –interest in urban exploration & archeology is a plus.
– A hip, buff female rock climber/extreme athlete
– A dynamic, young caver
– A quirky cutting-edge electronics whiz.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
