News Broadcasting
TV-Turnoff Week 2005 takes on intl flavour
MUMBAI: TV-Turnoff Week 2005 will have its largest international participation yet. TV-Turnoff Network which is a US nonprofit organization that encourages children and adults to watch much less television in order to promote healthier lives and communities made the announcement.
Activists in at least 10 countries are promoting TV-Turnoff events this year. TV-Turnoff Network executive director Frank Vespe says, “This growing movement to turn off TV and turn on life has not only taken root here in the United States but it is also catching fire around the world.”
Ccountries where Turnoff events will occur include Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Italy and Mexico. These add to an effort that is expected to inspire more than 7.6 million Americans to break free of TV this April. TV Turnoff Week takes place from 25 April -1 May 2005.
While the US likely leads the world in hours of television watched, the medium’s growth in other countries is resulting in increasing concerns among parents, teachers, doctors, and others that too much screen time displaces a wide variety of other healthy activities, including reading, exercise, and interaction with friends and family.
On average, American children watch about three hours of daily television and spend more than two hours each day in other screen time – videos, video games, computer games. American school children spend more time each year in front of the television set than in the classroom.
“TV-Turnoff Week 2005 presents an ideal way for kids and adults to take back time from the tube, What’s more, for many people, participation in the Week becomes the springboard to lasting change: to reducing their screen time, to choosing what they do watch more selectively, and to making sure to make time for screen-free activities” added Vespe.
This year marks the eleventh annual TV-Turnoff Week celebration. In 2004, an estimated 7.6 million children and adults participated in over 19,000 organised Turnoffs in every state in the US.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
