News Broadcasting
World Congress of History Producers to be held in Rome
MUMBAI: Some of the world’s leading television program commissioners will meet face-to-face with delegates, network at round-table lunches, and provide critical insight at broadcaster briefing sessions throughout the 2005 World Congress of History Producers in Rome from 1 December to 4 December 2005.
These face-to-face sessions, decision making lunches, and broadcaster briefings will bring World Congress delegates together with such notable program commissioners as National Geographic Channel’s senior vice president of production, Michael Cascio; UK’s head of acquisitions & development, Fremantle International Distribution, Shane Murphy; Australian Broadcasting Corporation commissioning editor, Stuart Menzies; The History Channel UK’s head of co-productions & acquisitions, Louise Dillon; RTI SpA – Mediaset Group, head of programme acquisitions, Daniela Bagliani; Tom Koch, director, WGBH International; Michael Katz, vice president, Programming & Production, AETN International, The History Channel USA; and Kristina Hollstein, director, Documentary Co-production, ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Germany, states an official release.
“This represents an extraordinary opportunity for producers to meet face-to-face with global leaders in history and biography programming,” said the event’s, executive producer, Craig Thompson. “The World Congress of History Producers is dedicated to serving its constituency with relevant and beneficial services, and we are honoured to have such strong support from the broadcasting community.”
Additional highlights of this year’s History Congress include: Genre Confusion; The Blurring Boundaries of History Programming where panellists will debate and discuss the blending of documentary genres including science, history, current affairs and drama; Tapping into New Markets, a look at connecting the media with the global community as a source for new stories and expanding markets; and The Ethics of Access: Getting Organizations to Open Up, where a panel of experts, including members from Opus Dei, will discuss the challenges and consequences of permitting media access to the internal structures of private organizations.
The World Congress of History Producers is produced annually by Achilles Media, with the support of the top international players in history and biography programming. The Board of Directors, Editorial Committee and Advisory Council for the History Congress are international in scope and represent the crème de la crème of producers and broadcasters in the genre. Host Broadcaster of the 2005 event is RAI Educational, the release adds. For complete details and to register go to www.history2005.com.
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.
