News Broadcasting
Spiderman rockets HBO to the top
MUMBAI: After The Mummy it is the turn of the caped figure Spiderman to bring in a ratings bonanza for HBO. Quoting TAM data the channel has stated that Spiderman gave it a spot in the top 100.
For the week starting 25 January 2004, the film had a rating of 2.95 in the 15-44 age group SEC A,B in the six metros. It was placed at number 81 higher than Zee Cinema’s Chalte Chalte, which was four spots lower down. For all India it got a rating of 2.25. This was the highest rating for any English film from Jan 2003- Jan 2004. Moreover for the same audience HBO also claimed to have had more absolute channel share that anybody else including Star Plus and SET when Spiderman aired on 30 January. HBO’s share was 11.29, Star Plus’ was 8.88 while SET’s was 7.32. Among the English movie channels it had a share of 89 per cent.
On a not so positive note, this writer was put off by the frequent blockages in the transmission. However speaking to Indiantelevision.com HBO India, South Asia country manager Shruti Bajpai said that this only affected parts of Mumbai and Delhi and could have been from the cable operator’s end or due to a solar disturbance. “The problem was localised.” She reiterated that there was no problem from HBO’s side.
Asked to comment on the data that Star Movies had recently put out claiming that it was number one for the past two years Bajpai said that from Jan 2003-Jan 2004 all India SEC A, B 15-44 HBO had 10 of the top 15 movies. “When this is the case how can they claim otherwise? For us however it is a good thing that a channel that has been established for many years feels so threatened by an upstart that they take the trouble to come out with a report.”
When asked whether The Big One would be a monthly feature on the channel as is the case in other Asian countries Bajpai replied in the negative. A Big One will happen every two to three months. So the next one would happen in the April-May period. Asked what films one could expect in the future she dropped names like Eminem’s debut film 8 Mile which was banned in India by the censor board, the caper film Ocean’s 11, The Lord Of the Rings and Ridley Scott’s war film Black Hawk Down.
On the contest front, Bajpai said that the Spiderman contest which was run during the film got 85,000 responses. Bajpai confirmed that another home grown series would be brought in later this year but refused to divulge further details saying that the decision had not yet been taken as to which one was going to be chosen.
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.
