News Broadcasting
NATPE, Discop announce new alliance
MUMBAI: The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), a US based association for content professionals, announced yesterday that it has entered into an alliance with France-based Discop organisation, a major facilitator of Central and East European TV business.
The announcement was made by NATPE president Rick Feldman. An official release stated that the arrangement is designed to provide television production and distribution companies, based in the region and represented by the Discop organisation, with a foothold in the US via NATPE’s annual conference to develop business relationships throughout North and South America.
According to the terms set by the agreement, the NATPE 2005 exhibition floor will house the Discop village from 25 to 27 January in Las Vegas, a dedicated pavilion for up to 20 Central and East European content distributors.
NATPE and Discop will promote this new initiative at Discop’s annual market in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, from 24 to 26 June this year.
According to Feldman, “Central and Eastern Europe is one of the world’s fastest growing regions in the television industry and it is NATPE’s mandate to provide the global business with opportunities to succeed. By entering into this exciting alliance with Discop, we are opening the door for companies in this part of the world to gain valuable exposure to North and South American companies and vice versa.”
Discop founding manager Patrick Jucaud noted, “The Eastern European television production industry is growing fast, and is now ready to bring high-quality programming to international marketplaces. That’s why we think that the timing is right for Central and Eastern European companies to be given a cost-effective opportunity to access North and South American markets through NATPE, regarded by many as the most powerful networking business event for the industry.”
NATPE, a global, non-profit organization is dedicated to the creation, development and distribution of televised programming in all forms, across all platforms.
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.
