News Broadcasting
PM Modi lauds Zee News for reportage of programme on solar energy to spread awarness in monthly Mann ki Baat
NEW DELHI: While policy announcements were avoided in view of the ongoing Parliament session, Zee News came in for praise in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly Mann ki Baat for its coverage of advantages of solar energy.
Modi’s reference was to a link he received of a news report from Kanpur where a woman is using solar energy to spread awareness and also educate the people/
The broadcast, which comes on the last Sunday of every month at 11 .00 am, was streamed live on the internet apart from being broadcast by both All India Radio and Doordarshan.
The regional language translations of the broadcast were beamed last night at 8.00 pmby different kendras of AIR.
The Prime Minister had invited people to share their messages for this edition of Mann Ki baat on mygov.in and used some of these views and played recordings by individuals received on1800 3000 7800.
Unlike some previous broadcasts, there was no theme for his talk tomorrow. Modi’s earlier themes have included rural sanitation, swachhta or other programmes of the government.
Even as no survey has so far been conducted on the listenership or viewership of Mann ki Baat, private television channels have been reproducing some portions considered newsy by them.
Modi also received several suggestions on his Twitter handle and on pmindia.gov.in.
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.
