The ´óÏó´«Ã½ in the Arab world
´óÏó´«Ã½ Global News division
´óÏó´«Ã½ Global News brings together ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service radio, ´óÏó´«Ã½ World television, the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s international facing online news services, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Monitoring, and ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust – the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s dedicated international development charity.
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Despite rapidly growing competition, independent surveys indicate that the total tri-media weekly audience reach of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s international news services is above 233 million. This is up from around 210 million in 2005/6.
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½'s global reputation for trust and objectivity remains strong. According to independent surveys, the combined ´óÏó´«Ã½ international news services outperformed both CNNI and international radio competitors in this area in almost all major markets.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World is the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s commercial international news and information television channel. Broadcast in English, it provides a diverse mix of international news, sport, weather, business, current affairs and documentary programming, to a weekly global audience of 76 million viewers.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World reaches around 269 million homes in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. It is also available in 1.5 million hotel rooms, on 54 cruise liners, 38 airlines, 35 mobile phone platforms and a number of major online platforms including bbcnews.com.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World is available in around 6.6 million homes and 71,000 hotel rooms across the Middle East. In September 2007, ´óÏó´«Ã½ World launched a dedicated satellite feed for the region, allowing the channel to offer advertisers a regional buy, and giving the editorial teams opportunity to develop bespoke programming for audiences in the region.
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The Middle East is an important region for ´óÏó´«Ã½ World editorially and the channel is committed to new programme initiatives that bring additional editorial focus to the region. Middle East Business Report, the channel's weekly 30-minute programme covering business issues from the region, is produced from Dubai.
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Research shows that ´óÏó´«Ã½ World is the most popular international news channel, watched by more viewers each day than any other English language channel, across eight Middle Eastern countries*.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World's strapline – Putting News First – emphasises the depth and breadth of the journalism seen on the channel, and successive qualitative surveys demonstrate that ´óÏó´«Ã½ World is trusted to deliver balanced and accurate coverage of events of international significance.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World contracts with ´óÏó´«Ã½ News to provide the core news output for the channel, through a dedicated newsroom team of around 70 staff. In addition, the channel has access to the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s 50 international news bureaux; its 250 correspondents worldwide; and can draw on the unrivalled strength of ´óÏó´«Ã½ News' 2,000 journalists based around the globe.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World provides news, business and sport and explains not only what is happening, but why.
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Key programmes include:
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- World News Today – the channel's hour-long news programmes, broadcast throughout the day, offer impartial news coverage from a global perspective, plus in-depth analysis and interviews with leading newsmakers.
World Business Report – brings the latest business, economic and market news from the world's financial capitals 24 hours a day.
Sport Today – provides the news, results and action from the sporting events that matter around the world.
fast:track – designed to appeal to viewers who travel frequently for both business and leisure.
.Click – explains the latest developments in the world of technology and reviews the hottest gadgets.
HardTalk – is an interview programme talking to newsmakers and personalities from across the globe. Host Stephen Sackur asks tough questions, getting behind the stories that make the news.
- ´óÏó´«Ã½ World also broadcasts the best of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s lifestyle and factual programming.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World is owned and operated by ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Ltd, a member of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s commercial group of companies, and is funded by subscription and advertising revenues.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World's operation has grown significantly in recent years and has offices located in London, Frankfurt, New York, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Sydney, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
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For further information on how to receive ´óÏó´«Ã½ World, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbcworld.com.
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*Source: Synovate PAX survey 2006. Countries include: Gulf Co-op Council (GCC) countries of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam), UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and three other countries – Egypt (Cairo and Alexandria), Lebanon (Beirut) and Jordan (Amman).
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust is the independent, international development charity of the ´óÏó´«Ã½.
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The trust works with people in developing and transitional countries to improve the quality of their lives through the innovative use of the media.
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It draws on the resources, values, global reputation and expertise of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ to bring this about.
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Through its Media Development Group, Development Communications Group and Research & Learning Group, the Trust aims to:
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- raise awareness among mass and opinion-former audiences
- affect behaviour change
- influence policy
- transfer skills and knowledge
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust operates in many countries. Countries where it currently has projects include: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust projects in the Middle East include:
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Promoting good governance
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In cooperation with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust provided training to 37 journalists who report on the activities at the Egyptian People's Assembly (Parliament) for print media as well as the Egyptian Radio and Television Union.
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Enhancing the coverage of elections
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With a small grant from the UK Embassy in Rabat, ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust provided training to journalists of the Société Nationale de Radio et Télédiffusion in Morocco. This helped to improve the transparency of the electoral campaign. ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust also worked with students of the Institut Supérieur de l'Information et de la Communication in Rabat to analyse the process.
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Engaging with press outlets
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Thanks to funding of the British Council, ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust has provided its first training course in Saudi Arabia to journalists of one of the largest internationally circulated Arab dailies Al Hayat.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust is also engaged in a project with Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm to provide advice and consultancy on managerial and editorial reform and development and the creation of an in-house training unit.
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Engaging with schools of journalism and faculties of mass communication
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust has recently submitted a bid to the EU fund (ENPI) to engage with EU neighbouring countries (Eastern Europe and Mediterranean) and has secured the partnership of the Faculty of Mass Communication at Cairo University. The selection of the winning bid is due to be made public in November.
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust has developed an online training system to help journalists improve their understanding of editorial ethics and improve their journalistic skills.
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The iLearn project is currently operating in Syria with local partner Syria-news.com under contract with ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust.
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Supporting the development of the media sector
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In the Palestinian Territories, ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust is about to launch a global project with EU and Dutch financing to support the development of an active and effective media sector through encouraging and facilitating networking and dialogue between media professionals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The project will support the emergence of an effective and independent professional association for the industry.
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Sustaining independent non-partisan broadcasting in a conflict area
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During mid-2005 ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust established Al Mirbad as a regional broadcaster for Southern Iraq, with a young team of 160 locally recruited Iraqi programme-makers and journalists.
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In an Iraqi media environment of growing sectarianism, Al Mirbad stands out as an independent, non-partisan broadcaster concentrating on locally-made programmes for Southern Iraq.
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Its aims are to encourage community participation in civil society and to hold government to account through its broadcast media. Al Mirbad is currently financed by the UK Government's Department of International Development.
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Providing expertise towards media and regulatory development
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´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service Trust leads a consortium to extend and develop the commitment to freedom of expression in Iraq through interventions that promote and support independent, pluralistic and professional media and effective independent regulation. The project is financed by UNESCO.
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