News Broadcasting
FremantleMedia to distribute ‘The IT Crowd’
MUMBAI: Fremantle International Distribution (FID) will be distributing the brand new talkbackTHAMES sitcom, The IT Crowd, worldwide.
The IT Crowd, which premieres with a double bill on the UK’s Channel 4 today , is the latest highly-anticipated comedy offering from talkbackTHAMES producer, Ash Atalla.
Written and directed by Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd is about an IT department – Roy (Chris O’Dowd), Jen (Katherine Parkinson) and Moss (Richard Ayoade) – who work in the basement of Reynholm Industries while their beautiful colleagues work upstairs in fantastic surroundings. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, The IT Crowd is a surreal look at the underclass of a company.
FID will launch the hot new comedy at MIPTV 06 in Cannes in April, where it will feature within an exciting slate of programming.
Fremantle International Distribution head of acquisitions and development Shane Murphy said, “FID has a tremendous heritage in comedy and The IT Crowd is the beginning of a renewed focus on quality comedy programming. We are delighted to be working with talkbackTHAMES, along with some of the UK’s most exciting comedy talent.”
FID is also distributing another of Ash Atalla’s creations, Man Stroke Woman, which launched on the UK’s BBC3 in November 2005. The series, which aired throughout November and December, achieved market shares up to 73 per cent above the channel’s average for the timeslot, and up to 114 per cent above the primetime average for viewers aged 16 to 34.
The show is now set to make the move to terrestrial, and will settle into its new home on BBC2 at the end of February.
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.
