News Broadcasting
Surgery starts at NewsX, 78 face the axe
MUMBAI: It was a black Saturday for the NewsX staff, the English news channel which came under financial cloud and saw ownership change hands within a year of launch as the original promoters, Indrani and Peter Mukerjea, exited after struggling to fund the high-cost operations.
The new owners, NaiDuniya promoter Vinnay Chhajlani and former Businessworld editor Jehangir S Pocha, have started the surgical process. They have asked 78 people to submit their resignations and take three months salary in advance, multiple sources say.
The trimming includes staff from editorial and technical divisions. “We were given current month’s salary along with an advance of three months and asked to sign the resignation letter,” says a senior editorial staff.
Clarifying the position, a company spokesperson said: “When NewsX was purchased by IndiMedia in January this year, it was carrying the infrastructure and resources that were originally created to enable the launch of multiple channels. We are now focusing on NewsX and streamlining and strengthening its operations. All previous plans to launch multiple channels have been put on hold. This has made it imperative for NewsX to prune and rightsize its operations, both in terms of infrastructure and people.”
“Many of us joined the channel before it launched. We worked in leading TV news brands like CNN IBN, NDTV 24X7 and Times Now. We have worked hard for the channel and it is heartbreaking to know that after putting in all the efforts, we have been asked to leave in such a manner,” another senior editoral executive said.
Meanwhile, the new management is reviewing the business and planning an overhaul of the channel. Multiple sources say the channel will don a new look, have a new name and relaunch sometime in September.
NewsX, however, will not stop hiring. “We will continue to hire talent in specific positions and strengthen the channel’s operations, distribution and branding,” the spokesperson explains.
NewsX landed into trouble very early in life with editor-in-chief Vir Sanghvi leaving the company amid controversies. The channel failed to make an impact and ratings stayed elusive. After the buyout, the new owners introduced a slab-structured pay cut policy to stave off 10 per cent of employee cost.
NewsX has a tough road ahead as the general English news channel space is being fought fiercely among Times Now, CNN IBN and NDTV 24X7.
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.
