News Broadcasting
Internet surfing overtakes TV watching in China
MUMBAI: In China, the daily average times spent surfing the net exceeds the time spent on watching TV. Net scored 2.73 hours ahead of TV’s 1.29 hours, says a survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Science.
The survey covered 2,367 residents, aged 16-65, in five large cities on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Only 10.4 per cent reported using the Internet primarily to send and receive e-mail; 65.9 per cent read online news; 62.2 per cent often play games online. There are many takers for the entertainment opportunities online as well. Up to 56.5 per cent respondents quite often download music, and 53.5 per cent get entertainment messages from the net.
Still, TV got a breather as the survey found that television is still the dominant mass medium. 79 per cent prefer TV as an information source, while 75 per cent turn to newspapers. But only half of the respondents said they rely on Internet or books for information.
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.
