BBC to Launch Arabic News Channel

LONDON, March
3: The BBC will add to its existing radio and online offerings for the Arab
population with the launch of a new Arabic-language news channel on Tuesday,
March 11.

BBC Arabic
Television is the BBC's first publicly-funded international television service.
It will be distributed on the Arabsat, Eutelsat and Nilesat satellite systems.
Initially airing for 12 hours a day, BBC Arabic Television will shift to 24/7
broadcasting in the summer.

The TV
channel's schedule includes news headlines every 15 minutes and a full news
summary every 30 minutes. On-the-spot news coverage will be delivered by 250
correspondents reporting from 72 bureaus around the world. Additional regional
expertise comes from an extensive network of local reporters and
correspondents. The channel also features news and current affairs programs
such as the twice-daily Newshour, which highlights news, analysis, key interviews and debate on
the top events occurring in the region and around the world that day.
Additionally, the channel will feature the live multimedia interactive debating
forum Nuqtat Hewar—already
popular on radio and online—three days a week.

A showcase of
the best BBC documentaries and specially produced in-depth reports from the
Arab world will be part of the TV schedule as well. BBC Arabic Television’s
presenters will include Rania Al Alattar, Fida Bassil, Tony El-Khoury, Dalia
Mohamed, Osman Ayfarah, Hasan Muawad, Lina Musharbash and Dina Waqqaf.

The launch of
BBC Arabic Television is part of the BBC's integrated multimedia news service
for the Arab world. BBC Arabic is
already available on air and on demand 24 hours a day, seven days a week on
radio, on the Internet through bbcarabic.com,
on mobile and on handheld computers. The launch of the television channel will
be accompanied by a major relaunch of bbcarabic.com to include embedded video
and a new-media player. The radio schedule has been extensively refreshed to
reflect the new multimedia approach.

More than 13 million
people currently listen to BBC Arabic every day, while its website receives
more than 21 million page impressions and 1 million-plus unique users each
month.

The BBC's World Service
director, Nigel Chapman, said: "BBC Arabic is renowned for broadcasting
impartial and accurate news and information which is strong on analysis and
expertise. This enhanced multimedia service meets the needs of an audience with
a very strong appetite for news and debate. We will be contemporary in style and
independent and incisive in our journalism."

Hosam El Sokkari, the head
of BBC Arabic, added: "BBC Arabic is already renowned for reporting more
than just conflict and politics. BBC Arabic aims to continue to broaden the
news agenda for audiences in the region. It will reflect the breadth of the
Arab audience's interests.”

—By
Irene Lew