News Broadcasting
Star News programmes to be reshuffled
NEW DELHI: Star News viewers will witness some reshuffling in its programmes starting 18 August, according to an official statement released recently.
Mera Gaon Mera Desh (MGMD), a 15-minute daily on how technology affects rural India, will take off from Monday at 5.45 pm. Consequently, Rajat Sharma’s Aaj Ki Baat is poised to occupy prime time in the slot, a company release said. The show will be aried twice a day in the early and late evening slots.
At present, Aaj Ki Baat is the only programme that Sharma’s IMPL produces for Star from its swanky studio based in Delhi.
An official statement from Star claimed MGMD, a first of its kind programme on Indian satellite news television, brings “eye-opening stories about how access to new economy has made worldwide developmental tools easily available to developing India”.
The programme would showcase efforts made by individuals and institutions to make life better for developing India. The Anurradha Prasad and Rajiv Shukla-promoted BAG Films has produced MGMD. Though officially not known, there are reports that Star would cough up few millions of rupees annually for the show.
Prasad, a TV producer who has worked for several satellite channels like Sahara TV and ZeeTV and Star Plus, has also produced rural shows for Doordarshan.
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.
