News Broadcasting
IBN18 ups stake in Viacom18 to 33.7%
MUMBAI: IBN18 has invested Rs 2.63 billion to hold a 33.71 per cent stake in Viacom18 Media, the joint venture company with media conglomerate Viacom that runs channels such as MTV, Vh1, Nick, and Colors in India.
IBN18 now has the option to purchase an additional 16.29 per cent stake in Viacom18, resulting in an aggregate stake of 50 per cent in the joint venture entity.
Sources say IBN18 plans to raise Rs 1.50 billion through qualified institutional placement (QIP) to complete its holding of 50 per cent stake in Viacom18.
IBN18 had earlier raised Rs 1.14 billion through QIP at a rate of Rs 102 per share, while the promoters had additionally infused Rs 2.41 billion in equity.
By the end of December 2008, IBN18 had acquired 6.6 per cent of Viacom18. For the 50 per cent stake, the price is fixed at $62.5 million ($50.5 million for the transfer and $12 million as option premium – inclusive of costs of funding).
Meanwhile, IBN18, which houses news channels CNN IBN, IBN7 and a JV Marathi news channel IBN Lokmat, has posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 920.01 million for the fiscal ended 31 March 2009.
The net loss has expanded as in FY’08 the company had suffered a loss of Rs 234.45 million.
Revenue rose 38.96 per cent to Rs 1.83 billion for FY’09, as against Rs 1.32 billion a year ago. Expenditure moved up 94.34 per cent to Rs 2.57 billion, compared to Rs 1.32 billion in FY’08.
The results of Viacom18 Media will get consolidated once IBN18 holds 50 per cent in the JV.
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.
