News Broadcasting
Malayalam channel Asianet goes digital
MUMBAI: Asianet, the leading Malayalam language channel, has gone digital from this week in an effort to stay ahead of the competition.
The channel, that was operating a dual feed for two weeks prior to digitalization, has withdrawn the analog feed and has gone fully digital from Monday (15 July).
In another development, it has set up its own teleport in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the southern state of Kerala, at an investment of around Rs 150 million. The company also plans to offer uplink facilities to other channels. Asianet COO Mohan Nair says Jeevan TV, the soon to be launched Malayalam channel, has already reached a deal with Asianet where it will be the first non-Asianet channel to be uplinked from the teleport.
Jeevan TV, promoted by the Catholic Church of Kerala, was to have commenced telecast on 14 July. The launch date has however, been pushed over to next month, say sources. The 24-hour channel will have an emphasis on news and current affairs, information and education.
Technical specifications of Asianet post digitalization-
FREQUENCY 3642 MHZ
SYMBOL RATE 19.531 FEC 3/4
POLARIZATION VERTICAL
SATELLITE APR 1 – 83 Degree East
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.
