News Broadcasting
[V] to announce ‘Popstars’ finalists on Thursday
Channel [V] Popstars is all set to announce its first pop girl band.
The names of the girls who have made it to the final five will be made public on Thursday at 8 pm on the channel. The real drama, says the channel, begins now as the finalists go through a complete transition from being girls next door to raving divas. Leading stylists, makeup artists, voice trainers, music directors, lyricists, video producers, and the record companies will work their magic to effect the transition. All this will be captured on camera live.
Popstars travelled across Chandigarh, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Mumbai and Goa auditioning and searching for the perfect five. Jury members toured the six metros making the crucial selection based on voice followed by confidence, and personality.
Extensive tests were conducted when the semi finalists were brought to Mumbai where the girls had to prepare their compositions, make dummy tracks, go through dance training sessions, sing difficult tracks all with a hope of making it as the ultimate pop band. Thursday’s episode will feature the jury visiting the girls at their homes to inform them if they made it or not.
Popstars, launched amid much fanfare (Star TV CEO James Murdoch flew in for the formal announcement) late last year and has been promoted aggressively across the Star network. Novel promotional efforts like three kilometer long banners, wedding bands on the streets of metros and hoardings have marked the Popstars journey. It now remains to be seen if the band lives up to its name.
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.
