Six O'Clock News co-anchor George Alagiah will anchor a news broadcast on BBC World aimed at the US breakfast audience, it was confirmed today.

The channel plans to air NewsHour at peak times in US and Asian timezones, with Alagiah's slot airing at 12pm GMT/1pm BST (7am EST/8am EDT). Alagiah will continue co-anchoring on BBC One at 6pm.

"We are extremely pleased to have a journalist of George’s calibre on board to present our new programme," said BBC global news chief Richard Sambrook. "George has achieved tremendous success in the UK for his objective coverage, in-depth international knowledge, and his sharp interviewing skills. His experience and his ability to uncover the news behind each story will be crucial for the success of NewsHour, which was created to ensure that BBC World delivers continuous and authoritative news programming to its audiences in the U.S. during peak morning hours, and in East Asia in the evening."

BBC World is currently seeking carriage on US cable and satellite operators; it signed its first such agreement with Cablevision earlier this month. The US cable operator, which serves parts of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, plans to add BBC World to its digital lineup alongside other news channels including Euronews.

NewsHour will begin airing on BBC World in June.