News Broadcasting
M&E industry must ensure self-classification under IT Rules 2021 happens in right spirit: Vikram Sahay
Mumbai: It is the responsibility of everyone in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry to ensure self-classification of content happens in the “right spirit” under the Digital Media Ethics Code, said the ministry of information and broadcasting joint secretary Vikram Sahay on Tuesday.
Sahay was addressing the Pixels digital entertainment conference organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
“Consumers are curious whether the self-classification rule will be able to maintain the level of seriousness and discipline in content creation,” said Sahay. “We are of the view that the content creators and producers are mature enough and have accepted it in the right spirit. There should not be any cause of grievances on account of the fact that it is self-classification rather than pre-certification.”
“We are in consultation with IAMAI for quite long, essentially in the area of content regulation and IAMAI has played a very important role in putting all the OTT players together and trying to develop a commonality of ideas and interests and that has helped us in trying to come out with Digital Media Ethics Code which was notified in February this year,” he further added.
The Digital Media Ethics Code was notified in the month of February this year. The rules prescribed a framework to empower consumers to make informed viewing choices and also put in place a tiered grievance redressal mechanism.
Sahay observed that the digital entertainment sector has witnessed phenomenal growth and has been a source of direct and indirect employment.
The virtual conference Pixels deliberates upon the business and technology side of the digital entertainment sector with respect to OTT platforms, production houses, and content distributors.
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.
