16 October 2014
The BBC World Service today launched a new ‘lifeline’ Ebola service for people in West Africa on instant messenger app Whatsapp.
The new service is in both English and French and will comprise public health information on Ebola from the BBC, using audio, text message posts and images. It will also include breaking news alerts related to Ebola. The service is available on +44 7702 348651. Whatsapp is the most popular chat app in Africa.
This means Ebola is now the BBC World Service’s biggest health focus since its reporting on HIV/Aids in the 1980s and 1990s.
In addition to this service, the BBC’s Ebola efforts now include:
- News About Ebola, a news and information programme broadcast twice every weekday from 22 September. The programme is focused on the affected region of West Africa, where half of World Service English’s 13.1m African listeners are based. Shortwave transmissions to the affected areas have been increased.
- Ebola Infos, a twice-daily Ebola bulletin in French on BBC Afrique
- Increased partnerships with other broadcasters: the Ebola programmes are being broadcast by more than 50 radio stations in West Africa and on the BBC’s own FM transmitters in key cities.
- Special new interactive editions of Focus on Africa on World Service English on Mondays and Thursdays for audiences to share experiences, concerns and questions on Ebola
- New twice-weekly interactive programming on BBC Afrique, Parlons d’Ebola
- A new daily 10-minute Ebola bulletin on BBC World News TV
- Weekly Ebola bulletins, Ebola Public Health Broadcast, have been produced by BBC Africa in conjunction with the BBC’s international development charity BBC Media Action since August. They are broadcast in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria on the BBC’s English, French and Hausa services. The Swahili, Somali and Kinyarwanda/Kirundi services also carry the broadcasts.
- BBC Media Action has been helping to tackle misinformation about the disease in a radio programme, Kick Ebola Nar Salone (Kick Ebola out of Sierra Leone), produced and broadcast three times a week on 35 partner stations across the country. The show gives people a chance to ask questions of experts, and voice their concerns.
- BBC Media Action has partnered with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to deliver ‘lifeline’ communication training to media, officials and humanitarian workers in countries at risk across West Africa. It will also produce media outputs – from discussion programmes to mini-dramas – to tackle rumour and stigma and to help people take action to protect their health in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
In additional to this special programming, BBC News has been reporting from affected regions across all of its domestic and international outlets from the outset of the outbreak.
Director of the World Service Group Peter Horrocks said:
“This outbreak of Ebola shows no signs of abating. Myths and misinformation about Ebola are still widespread – and life-threatening. The BBC is trusted by millions of people in the affected countries, so we are stepping up our efforts to reach people with timely information, whether they’re listening to the radio, watching TV or using chat apps. We’re committed to playing our part and will continue looking at new ways to reach audiences, for example by developing programmes in local vernacular languages.”
This is the first time the BBC has used a chat app specifically for health information programming, although instant messaging applications including Line, Mixit, BBM, WeChat and Whatsapp have been successfully used for breaking news alerts and while reporting the elections in India and South Africa.
Notes to Editors
News About Ebola is broadcast on World Service English every weekday at 1420 and 1950 GMT.
Focus on Africa is broadcast on World Service English at 1900 GMT on Mondays and Thursdays.
Ebola Infos is broadcast on BBC Afrique every weekday at 1730 and 0802 GMT.
Parlons d’Ebola is broadcast on BBC Afrique on Mondays and Thursday at 1502 GMT.
A daily Ebola TV bulletin is broadcast on BBC World News at 1830 GMT.
The BBC’s Whatsapp Ebola service is available on +44 7702 348651. Users can subscribe by messaging JOIN or JOINDRE to that number on Whatsapp.
2 December 2013
The BBC will open a news bureau in Burma, also known as Myanmar, BBC Director of Global News Peter Horrocks announced today.
The announcement comes after the BBC, along with three other international broadcasters, received official permission to open a news bureau from the Myanmar Ministry of Information.
The BBC aims to open its bureau next year. It will also house reporters from the BBC Burmese service.
Peter Horrocks said: “Burma has long been a byword for media repression and censorship but within the last year there has been rapid and welcome change, with BBC global news services being allowed to broadcast trusted impartial news on radio, television and mobile. Opening a BBC bureau in Burma/Myanmar is another highly significant milestone and an encouraging sign that the country is moving towards media freedom.
“The BBC will continue to stand by its principles of impartial, balanced journalism, reporting events in Burma without fear or favour. The BBC’s charity BBC Media Action will continue its work to help train the next generation of Burmese journalists.”
Notes to editors:
BBC Burmese broadcasts for half an hour in the morning (at 06.30, repeated at 08.30 local time), and 45 minutes in the evening (at 20.15, repeated at 21.00). The programmes are presented from the London and Bangkok studios of the BBC. The radio programming is broadcast on shortwave and on PAS10 and Palapa satellite television channels and streamed online via bbcburmese.com. Mobile-phone users in Myanmar can receive two BBC Burmese audio news bulletins every day updated at 8am and 6.30pm local time. In addition to providing the latest news and current affairs, BBC Burmese offers its audiences a variety of programmes on education, sport, health, technology as well as weekly debates on topical issues. A weekly interactive programme gives listeners the opportunity to have their say. In addition to covering general news, trade and commerce, bbcburmese.com offers special clusters around major global and regional events.
BBC Burmese is part of BBC World Service – an international multimedia broadcaster which delivers a wide range of language and regional services on radio, TV, online and via wireless handheld devices. BBC World Service uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of 192 million globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. BBC World Service offers its multilingual radio content to partner FM stations around the world and has numerous partnerships supplying content to news websites, mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices as well as TV channels. For more information, visit bbc.com/worldservice.
17 December 2012
BBC World News, BBC Entertainment, CBeebies and BBC World Service in English to be available from 1 January 2013
(Monday, 17 December, London) The BBC and BBC Worldwide today announced the inaugural launch of three of its pay TV channels in Burma – BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies.
BBC World News is the BBC’s commercially-funded international 24-hour news and information channel. BBC Entertainment showcases the very best of British light entertainment, drama and comedy; and CBeebies is a channel designed for pre-school children and provides a high-quality, interactive, entertaining and educational experience for them, offering them a safe haven in which to learn about, and enjoy, the world around them.
All three BBC TV channels, together with BBC World Service in Asia in English, will launch on Forever Group’s pay TV platform in Burma on 1 January 2013.
The BBC has a long history of providing vital news and information to Burma, via BBC World Service. Since its first broadcast in 1940, BBC Burmese has been an essential source of information for people living in Burma, as well as for the Burmese diaspora. The launch of these pay TV channels and the BBC World Service global English radio, will see this programming potentially reach around 250,000 homes in Burma on Forever Group’s pay TV platform.
One of two major private broadcasters in Burma, Forever Group is one of the earliest digital TV broadcasters in the region and broadcasting in DVB-T and DVB-T2. Forever Group is also extending its digital TV network all over the country using the DVB-T2 system.
Mark Whitehead, Senior Vice President and General Manager of BBC Worldwide Channels Asia, said: “I am pleased to be able to announce the launch of the BBC channels in Burma. We are very pleased to be part of Burma’s growing economy, and excited to be delivering our wide range of highly rated and award-winning programming – from programmes specially designed for pre-schoolers, to the best of UK comedy and drama and high quality international news to new viewers.”
Peter Horrocks, Director, Global News, said: “For many years, the BBC has delivered accurate, impartial international radio services to the Burmese people, serving as a vital lifeline service to Aung San Suu Kyi and those across the country. I’m so pleased that the BBC is now able to take the next step forward with the country to offer that same impartial news via television as well. It is a great sign of progress for Burma and I’m honoured for the BBC to play a role in opening the country up to the world.”
Mr. Winn Maw, CEO of Forever Group Co. Ltd, commented: “We are thrilled to be partnering with BBC Worldwide. High quality content is a key factor in driving our subscription growth, and we are confident that BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies, together with BBC World Service radio will make Forever Group’s international line-up even stronger,”
More information on the channels:
BBC World News, the BBC’s commercially funded international 24-hour news and information platforms, is owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd, a member of the BBC’s commercial group of companies. BBC World News is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 350 million households and 1.8 million hotel rooms. The channel’s content is also available on 152 cruise ships, 40 airlines and 23 mobile phone networks. For further information on how to receive BBC World News, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbc.com/tvschedule.
BBC Entertainment showcases the best comedy, drama and light entertainment from the BBC and other UK production houses.
The channel is exclusive destination of The Graham Norton Show, with multi-award winning comedy talk-show host, Graham Norton and features his trademark comedy monologues, interesting celebrity chats, eccentric stories and characters. The talk show is broadcast just two weeks after its UK telecast.
BBC Entertainment is also home to Doctor Who, the longest running science fiction TV in the world, and the most successful in terms of ratings, DVD book sales, iTunes traffic and downloads.
CBeebies is UK’s number one children’s channel, loved by kids under six, and by their parents and carers. Inspired by preschoolers’ natural curiosity and zest for play, programming on the channel is designed by developmental experts to appeal to and suit the developmental needs of distinct age groups. The channel delivers a safe, interactive experience, and delivered by the trusted BBC brand, to promote imaginative play, social interaction, language skills and educational values.
Come January, CBeebies’ viewers in Burma will be able to catch a new series of Andy’s Wild Adventures – a live action animation series which sees park keeper Andy and his cat Kip embark on exciting adventures, travelling the world in their flying buggy – KipMobile, a high-spec, all-terrain, flying vehicle -for encounters with a whole array of animals in their natural habitats.
Preschoolers and their carers will also be able to watch internationally-acclaimed and award-winning household favourites such as Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Charlie & Lola, Numtums and Mister Maker.
BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster, delivering a wide range of language and regional services on radio, TV, online and via wireless handheld devices. It uses multiple platforms to reach its weekly audience of 180 million globally, including shortwave, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. Its news sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to join the global debate. BBC World Service offers its multilingual radio content to partner FM stations around the world and has numerous partnerships supplying content to news websites, mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices as well as TV channels. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com.
BBC Burmese radio programming is broadcast on shortwave and on PAS10 and Palapa satellite television channels and streamed online via the website bbcburmese.com. BBC Burmese is part of BBC World Service.
BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and CBeebies will be available on the basic tier of Forever Group’s platform. BBC World Service will be available on the radio service of digital receivers.
For more information on BBC’s pay TV channels in Asia, please visit www.bbc-asia.com
