BBC World Service Extra launches

BBC World Service’s broadcasts in the key languages of Afghanistan and the surrounding region were made available as a special service to UK listeners who speak the languages and have digital satellite, starting Friday.

The temporary service, focusing on news and current affairs, has been made available following mounting tension in the region after the attacks in New York and Washington.

The service, called BBC World Service Extra, will run a mixed language schedule of live BBC World Service broadcasts in Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Persian, Pashto, and Urdu.

BBC World Service Extra, available on digital satellite channel 902, will operate 24 hours a day. The BBC is making the services available as part of its digital satellite radio line-up which includes BBC World Service in English on channel 865. The service will complement audiostreaming and text of each language service available online around the globe at bbc.co.uk/worldservice.

The BBC World Service recently announced it was expanding its broadcasts in Arabic, Pashto, Persian and Urdu, as well as improving its delivery to the area via an extra medium wave frequency and boosting existing transmissions on shortwave and medium wave.

BBC World Service Director Mark Byford says: “The need for up-to-date news and analysis of the developments in Afghanistan and the surrounding region, following the attacks in the US, has become more crucial. The UK contains some one and half million people who speak the languages of this area. The current upheaval in Afghanistan and the implications for neighbouring countries means BBC World Service Extra on digital satellite will provide a vital lifeline of information about their family and communities back home.

He adds: “Previously you had to live in the relevant region to hear our 43 language services. But new technology, such as online and satellite, offers diaspora communities a way of hearing news about their home region and the opportunity to join together to communicate their views to one another.???

Since the attacks, the Arabic service has increased its broadcasts to become a 24-hour service, providing news bulletins throughout the night, and adding other long-form current affairs and analysis programmes.

The Pashto service has increased its broadcasts from 11¾ to 18¾ hours per week. The Persian service has increased its broadcasts from 28¼ to 37 hours per week. The Urdu service has increased its broadcasts from 11½ to 13¼ hours per week. Further increases in Persian and Urdu are planned.

The Persian and Pashto services have added an extra lunchtime news programme to supplement the usual breakfast and flagship evening news programmes.

All three languages are increasing their online service, which includes access to audio broadcasts, for locals and nationals living elsewhere around the globe. BBCArabic.com already contains extensive, interactive news services available and updated 24 hours a day.

Survey work before the crisis indicates that some 72 per cent of Pashto language speakers and some 62 per cent of Persian speakers in Afghanistan listen daily to the BBC World Service. The Urdu language service, with an audience of more than 15 million in Pakistan, has changed its usual mixed programming schedule to rolling news and current affairs.

BBC World Service Extra schedule
(All times GMT, until Sunday, October 28 add one hour for BST)

Arabic
0430-0800
0930-1330
1800-1830
1900 until 0030 the following morning

Bengali
0030-0100
0800-0810
1330-1400

Hindi
0100-0130
0810-0820
1400-1430
1700-1730

Pashto
0200-0230
0830-0900
1545-1615

Persian
0230-0430
0900-0930
1430-1500
1615-1700
1830-1900

Urdu
0130-0200
0820-0830
1500-1545
1730-1800

For those able to tune manually, BBC World Service Extra is available on Astra 2 at 28.2 degrees East, in BBC's DSAT2 multiplex at 11.7975GHz on a horizontal polarity.