News Broadcasting
Gandhi voted into top 10 greatest S. Africans of all time
MUMBAI: The South African version of the BBC television format The Greats has resulted in Mahatma Gandhi being listed as one of the ten greatest South Africans of all time.
In Great South Africans, based on the BBC’s Great Britons, public service broadcaster SABC 3 asked the South African public to vote for the country’s greatest men and women. Many South Africans voted for Mahatma Ghandi, thus making him one of the top ten.
The vote is now on to decide which one out of the list will be most deserving of a place in history next to Nelson Mandela. In a surprise departure from the original BBC format, Nelson Mandela was declared the Greatest South African of all and the public is now being asked to vote for a winner from the other nine Great South Africans. The BBC’s Great Britons led to Winston Churchill being voted the Greatest Briton.
The format of the show was licensed to SABC 3 by BBC Worldwide, the commercial consumer arm of the BBC. BBC Worldwide head of Africa, South Asia and Middle East Monisha Shah commented, “One of the most interesting aspects of the format of The Greats is that it provides so many topics for nation wide discussion: ‘What is greatness?’ ‘What qualifies one – in this case – as a Great South African?’ It is a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s lasting legacy that South Africa considers him one of its own. We look forward to licensing a similar programme about Great Indians which will generate similar interest in India’s icons, past and present.”
Over the next nine weeks, celebrity ‘champions’ will try to convince the public why their candidate should win, in 30-minute documentaries on SABC 3. Author and journalist Brenda Kali, herself a member of the Indian community in South Africa, will be Mahatma Gandhi’s advocate.
The top ten Great South Africans as voted for by the South African public includes: Dr Christiaan Barnard, F W De Klerk, Mahatma Gandhi, Nkosi Johnson; Winnie Madikizela Mandela; Nelson Mandela; Thabo Mbeki; Gary Player; Jan Smuts and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
BBC Worldwide has also licensed the format of The Greats to Germany, where more than three million votes were cast and statesman Konrad Adenauer was voted ‘Best German’, to Finland and The Netherlands where the top ten is due to be announced shortly, and to Portugal, Canada, and Czech Republic and Russia, while negotiations are underway with broadcasters in many more countries around the world.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
