News Broadcasting
Critically acclaimed British rockers Franz Ferdinand on CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’
Indian Standard Times
Saturday, March 4 at 0930am, 2000hrs and 2230hrs
Sunday, March 5 at 0600am, 1700hrs and 2030hrs
Monday, March 6 at 0900am
Franz Ferdinand’s lead singer Alex Kapranos and bass guitarist Bob Hardy join TALK ASIA’s Lorraine Hahn this weekend. The four-piece-band first got together in 2002 and have since produced two critically acclaimed albums, enjoyed chart success on several continents and won a number of prestigious awards including the Mercury Music Prize and MTV Video Award in 2004 and Best British Group at The BRITs in 2005.
The group hopes that their unique name, taken from the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination precipitated the First World War, will inspire musicians to be a catalyst for change. A combination of art, communication and social responsibilities lies at the heart of their music: “the best music does make a difference to your life as well. And it’s often in a personal way, and it’s often more of a social thing than a political thing.” Being both performers and fans, Franz Ferdinand also appreciate the artistic qualities of other British bands. To them, the term “competition” is rather “an old-fashion attitude”.
Keeping true to their Indy roots, Franz Ferdinand have remained active in the music scene of Glasgow and enjoy creating tunes that people can dance to. “There’s no point in trying to create music that has a commercial appeal, it just doesn’t work. I’ve known bands that have tried to chase after the current trend, or whatever is particularly fashionable…and it always comes across as being insincere and slightly distasteful” explains Kapranos. To survive in the current music industry, “you’ve got to keep writing goods songs” and that’s what they hope to do with their upcoming third album.
AIRTIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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.
