News Broadcasting
Producers form joint action committee to fight unfair labour practices
Mumbai: The associations of content producers have come together to form an action committee called Media & Entertainment Producers Coordination Committee (MEPCC) to tackle unfair labour practices and issue guidelines to producers.
The Indian Motion Picture Producer’s Association (IMPPA), Indian Film and TV Producers Council (IFTPC), Western India Film Producer’s Association (WIFPA), The Association of Advertising Producers (ASAP), and Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal (ABMCM) have come under one umbrella and formed the action committee to ensure compliance with directions of Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Labour Commissioner.
The producers’ primary grievances are the unfair labour practices and extortion under different garbs from the trade unions. It has barred trade union’s vigilance officers from visiting shooting locations under any circumstances.
“The joint action committee will ensure full protection and security of all producers who make entertainment content. In case these producers face a disturbance in the work or shooting by trade unions, they have been advised to immediately file a police complaint in the nearest police station and also inform their association so that immediate action can be initiated against parties indulging in unfair labour practices,” it said in a statement.
“The committee will also launch a new method of recruitment and selection of workers which will be unveiled soon,” it added.
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.
