News Broadcasting
HBO production unit getting into high gear
MUMBAI: HBO is re-invigorating its old production unit, HBO Independent Productions, by reviving the business of creating series for broadcast networks.
The cable channel, which produces Everybody Loves Raymond for CBS, had turned its attention away from that business to concentrate on its own shows.
Among the major new initiatives the AOL Time Warner unit is getting into is with ailing US television network ABC, which is searching for programming that will bring it some worthwhile ratings. HBO and ABC are expected to announce an agreement as per which shows created by HBO will air during ABC’s prime-time schedule. The alliance is expected to kick into high gear by late next year when the shows that HBO is creating go on air.
In the early 1990s, HBO Independent Productions created series like Roc and Martin for the Fox network. However, in the recent past, it chose to focus more on creating original series for its own channel.
Reports indicate that ABC will finance the two-year agreement during which HBO will develop shows specifically for ABC. HBO is also free to offer a rejected show to other networks.
In the recent past, HBO has gained critical attention and ratings for shows such as the mafia saga The Sopranos and Six Feet Under which earlier this year got a couple of Golden Globe Awards. .
ABC has seen its ratings plummet over the past couple of years and hence the need for a slew of fresh programme initiatives. Reports indicate that ABC is pushing its development schedule this year and already has more than 15 new projects in development for next fall. They do not include potential programmes from HBO.
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.
