Tag Archive for BBC

Murder and Honour: BBC Urdu puts a spotlight on women’s killings

2 December 2016.  BBC Urdu brings the so-called honour killing of women in the spotlight as the new series, Qatal o Ghairat (Murder and Honour), rolls out on TV, radio, online at bbcurdu.com and social media.  For three weeks, from Tuesday 6 December, BBC Urdu will deliver a comprehensive look at these killings – through special reports, animation, infographics and other digital tools as well as discussions at universities and colleges across Pakistan.

BBC Urdu Editor, Mehvish Hussain, says:  “BBC Urdu has reported on so-called honour killings extensively – just as we do other issues that matter to our audience.  With Qatal o Ghairat, we decided to bring together our journalistic and reporting strength to ask why these murders continue to be a widely accepted fact of life in the region.  We hope very much that as many of our audience as possible will engage with us to answer this question.”

BBC Urdu reports, with insights from Pakistan’s leading legal and media experts, legislators and activists, from various locations in Pakistan:

  • Khairpur, Sindh, where violence against women is endemic, to see if these murders are rooted in the rural culture
  • Landi Kotal, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where the local Jirga system of government is believed to be protecting and justifying such killings
  • Nasirabad, Baluchistan, where a murder over a property dispute is being presented as a so-called honour killing so it can go unreported to the police
  • Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where these murders are labelled as suicides
  • Lahore, Punjab, where a man, who was involved in the murder of his daughter for an alleged affair with her cousin, was set free by the local High Court as he pardoned himself invoking the forgiveness clause of the law on ‘honour killing’ – an old clause which was left unchanged in Pakistan’s reformed law on these killings
  • Shikarpur, Sindh, where the BBC gets exclusive access to a man who killed his wife who he ‘thought’ had a relationship with another man
  • Mazar Jo, Sindh, where the local Jirga is demanding that a girl be married into a family as ‘compensation’ following false accusations against them.

At universities in Karachi, Khairpur, Peshawar, Lahore and other cities, BBC Urdu will discuss with students all these issues – as well as how Pakistani media portray women.  BBC Urdu will also report from the village of Haryana, India, on the legislative and social aspects of the issue in India.  The BBC Urdu social-media platforms – Facebook and YouTube – will feature the films shot by the students involved in the debates while, across BBC Urdu platforms, audiences will be able to share their stories, in text or video.

BBC Urdu is part of BBC World Service.

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For more information please contact:

BBC World Service Group Communications – Lala Najafova lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk

Notes to editors:

BBC Urdu TV programme, Sairbeen, is broadcast live from London by Aaj News TV channel in Pakistan and streamed on bbcurdu.com at 19.30 PST (14.30 GMT) Monday to Friday.  Each edition of Sairbeen is repeated on Aaj News at 11.00 PST on the following day and is available on bbcurdu.com on demand. The programme is also available via the BBC Urdu channel on YouTube.  The radio programme, Sairbeen, is broadcast on shortwave at 20.00 PST (15.00 GMT) every day and is available via bbcurdu.com. BBC Urdu engages with its audience on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

BBC World Service delivers news content around the world, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 246 million. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences.  The BBC World Service Group operates around the world in 30 languages, on radio, TV and digital. The BBC attracts a weekly global news audience of 320 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.

BBC First debuts in Hong Kong

Singapore, 1 November,  2016 – BBC Worldwide Asia today announced the launch of BBC First in Hong Kong.

Premium British drama brand BBC First has made its debut in Hong Kong as a SVOD service on the territory’s largest pay-TV provider, Now TV.

The premium drama brand has launched successfully in key markets around the world including Australia, South Africa, Benelux and the Middle East and offers viewers the best British drama from the BBC and UK independent production companies. Viewers will also be able to access select popular and distinct dramas from the BBC within 24 hours of their original transmission.

Kelvin Yau, GM of BBC Worldwide Greater China, commented: “We are thrilled to bring BBC First to Hong Kong. We are committed to sharing the most fascinating dramas and Hong Kong viewers have always appreciated the intelligent and distinctive content of BBC programmes. BBC First is the ideal platform for us to showcase the best and latest BBC dramas to discerning viewers in Hong Kong, anytime they like.”

“We are very excited to work with BBC Worldwide on this new brand which will deliver the very best of quality drama from the BBC, on demand on Now TV to our viewers,” said Ms. Loke Kheng Tham, PCCW’s Executive Vice President of Pay TV.  “With BBC First, Now TV is giving our customers direct and around-the-clock access to quality programmes from the BBC.”

At launch, some of the highly rated and star-studded BBC dramas that Now TV’s subscribers can look forward to include:

  • Class

From the makers of Doctor Who comes this epic young-adult series set in contemporary London. Written by award-winning author Patrick Ness and starring exciting new talent, Class is scary, funny, and as painful and sharp as youth.

Like all teenagers, the students at Coal Hill Academy have hidden secrets and desires. They are facing their own worst fears, navigating a life of friends, parents, school, sorrow – and possibly the end of existence.

 

  • The Collection

Paris, 1947. A fashion empire rises from the ashes of this war-torn city. The House of Sabine is run by two very different brothers. Breathtakingly charming and thoroughly ruthless, Paul Sabine controls the business. Meanwhile it is his reckless, hedonistic younger brother Claude whose fresh vision is ushering in a new era in haute couture. But behind the glamour and success lie devastating secrets that threaten to tear this family apart.

Sophisticated and contemporary in tone, The Collection is a story about the price of success, set during a pivotal moment in France’s history when fashion became a vehicle for transformation and reinvention.

 

  • Undercover

Maya, a barrister in London, is about to become the first black Director of Public Prosecutions. But just as her life comes under intense public scrutiny, Maya discovers that her husband Nick has been lying to her for 20 years.

At the same time a case that has dominated her career is about to reach its conclusion. Rudy Jones, a black man in America wrongly convicted of murdering a white politician, is to be executed. As she fights to save Rudy and discovers more about her husband’s past, Maya begins to realise there are bigger forces at work.

 

  • War and Peace

Adapted by leading screenwriter Andrew Davies, produced by BBC Wales and The Weinstein Company, this is a modern take on one of the most famous and epic stories of all time. Encompassing huge themes of love and war, life and death, the series features a star-studded line-up including Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton. The series was filmed in Russia, Latvia and Lithuania.

BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle, Ceebies as well as BBC World News are also available on Now TV.

In Asia, BBC First is available in Singapore and Malaysia, and as a block in Japan. It is also in Australia,  Middle East, North Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Existing Now TV subscribers with BBC Entertainment and BBC On Demand will have access to BBC First as a replacement for BBC Entertainment and BBC On Demand. BBC First will also be available to Now TV’s customers with Entertainment Pack Two.

For more information on BBC First, please visit www.bbcasia.com.

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About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).  Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world.  This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values.  The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2015/16, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: www.bbcworldwide.com/annual-review

www.bbcworldwide.com

twitter.com/bbcwpress

 

For more information, please contact:

BBC Worldwide:

Jeanne Leong

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5292

Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

BBC Worldwide signs Planet Earth II co-production deal with Tencent in China

IMG_9760

Today, BBC Worldwide announced a co-production deal with one of China’s largest providers of Internet value added services, Tencent Holdings Limited (“Tencent”, SEHK: 00700) for Planet Earth II. This is the first time BBC Worldwide is co-producing a documentary with a video platform in China.

Narrated by David Attenborough and produced by the BBC’s Natural History Unit, the highly anticipated Planet Earth II will reveal the planet from a new perspective.  Shot in UHD and using the latest camera stabilisation, remote recording and aerial drone technology, Planet Earth II will take the audience closer to nature and allow them to experience the wilderness as if they were there. Combining dramatic animal behaviour and incredible wildlife spectacle, the six-part series promises to give audiences the most immersive wildlife documentary experience to date.

The deal was sealed at a signing event on the second day of MIPCOM with Molly Feng, Director, Video Content Co-operation, Tencent and David Weiland, EVP, Asia BBC Worldwide representing the two organisations.

Planet Earth II will broadcast simultaneously in China at the same time as the UK on Tencent’s v.qq.com platform and its video app.

“A decade ago, Planet Earth redefined natural history filmmaking, giving us the ultimate portrait of life on Earth in HD. Planet Earth II is set to be another game changer. It will reveal our planet from a completely new perspective, using significant advances in both filming technology and our understanding of the natural world”, said David Weiland, EVP Asia, BBC Worldwide. “We are very excited to be co-producing this landmark series with Tencent whom we have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship. This production partnership is an affirmation of the shared commitment we have in producing ambitious natural history content. Tencent’s involvement will bring this landmark series to a wider Chinese audience across Greater China.”

“We’ve been partnering with BBC Worldwide for some time now, working with them to bring in premium documentaries for our audiences in China. This co-production agreement signifies a new level in our relationship which we hope to grow further. We are confident that this is just the beginning of a fruitful and successful partnership,” said Jeff Han, Vice President, Tencent Online Media Group and General Manager, Marketing & Video Content Co-operation.

Planet Earth II is a 6×60 series is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télévisions. It will premiere in the UK on BBC One. It will simultaneously be aired on Tencent’s v.qq.com platform.

*photo caption from left to right:

Mike Gunton, Creative Director of Factual and The Natural History Unit, BBC Worldwide, David Weiland, EVP, Asia BBC Worldwide, Molly Feng, Video Content Co-operation Department Supervisor, Tencent and Stefani Sun, Senior Strategic Partner Manager, Tencent

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About BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).  Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world.  This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values.  The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2015/16, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: www.bbcworldwide.com/annual-review

www.bbcworldwide.com

twitter.com/bbcwpress

For more information, please contact:

BBC Worldwide:
Jeanne Leong

BBC Worldwide

Tel: +65 6849 5292

Email: Jeanne.Leong@bbc.com

BBC Bangla marks 75 years of broadcasting with TV, radio and digital audiences

BBC Bangla marks 75 years of broadcasting with TV, radio and digital audiences

3 October 2016. BBC Bangla will present a series of programmes and events with audiences in Bangladesh and India to mark 75 years of broadcasting.  It will engage with audiences via Facebook Lives and radio to discuss the global and national issues that are of special relevance to them. The theme of The BBC and Bangladesh will be discussed at a seminar at Dhaka University, with a panel and students, and will also be the focus of new programmes commissioned to mark the anniversary.

BBC Bangla Editor, Sabir Mustafa, said:  “Since the very first transmission on 11 October 1941, the BBC’s broadcasts in Bangla have delivered to its audiences much-needed accurate and impartial news and information.  It has earned the trust of Bangla-speakers, wherever they were over the tempestuous decades – and wherever they are today.  This anniversary is a great opportunity for us to check how in tune we are with what they expect and need from us.”

Between 7 and 14 October, BBC Bangla will hold broadcast events in Bangladesh – in Sylhet, Rajshahi and Khulna – and in Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal from where a significant proportion of the BBC Bangla digital audiences come.  Starting as informal discussions with the BBC Bangla audiences, these events will transform into Facebook Lives on the BBC Bangla Facebook page.  The focus of the conversations will be how the BBC can engage with younger audiences and meet their news and information needs.

Throughout October, BBC Bangla journalists will travel to various parts of Bangladesh to debate critical issues with local residents.  The following topics will be debated in these locations:

  • Khulna – the survival of mangrove forests
  • Sirajganj – the safety of migrants
  • Rangpur – revival of the rural economy
  • Sylhet – the role of expatriates in the country’s development
  • Rajshahi – the plight of rivers
  • Barisal – the threat of river erosion
  • Chittagong – how to preserve the country’s ethnic diversity.

The conversations will be broadcast live on radio with simultaneous discussion for those who connect with BBC Bangla on social media.

On 19 October, the conference, The BBC and Bangladesh, co-hosted by BBC Bangla and Dhaka University’s Department for Journalism and Mass Communications, will look at the role of the BBC in covering Bangladesh and the region, asking the panel and the audience of over 100 students how they want to engage with the BBC in the digital age.

To celebrate the anniversary in October, the weekly TV programme, BBC Probaho, will feature audience members looking back at their own special BBC Bangla moments.  An event page on Facebook, Hirok Joyonti (Diamond Jubilee), will display archive photos and comments from fans.  BBC Live! will showcase contributions from the BBC Bangla teams – past and present –  looking back at key moments during their time at the BBC, and will be available for download at bbcbangla.com. BBC Bangla radio will also broadcast selected extracts from some of the key programmes from its archives.

BBC Bangla is part of BBC World Service.

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For more information please contact:

BBC World Service Group Communications – Lala Najafova lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk

Notes to editors:

BBC Bangla radio programmes – on FM, shortwave and via the website bbcbangla.com – are produced in London and Dhaka. The website bbcbangla.com registers around 1.6 million unique visitors per month (Source: comScore average monthly reach between April and September 2016).  The BBC Bangla Facebook page has around 9 million followers (October 2016).  BBC Bangla’s weekly current-affairs TV programme, BBC Probaho, is broadcast live by Channel-i in Bangladesh at 9.35 pm local time every Thursday.

BBC World Service delivers news content around the world, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 246 million. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences.  The BBC World Service Group operates around the world in 30 languages, on radio, TV and digital. The BBC attracts a weekly global news audience of 320 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.

MEASAT and Globecast Bring Four (4) BBC Channels to Asia

Kuala Lumpur, 01 August 2016 – MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. (“MEASAT”) announced today an agreement with Globecast Asia (“Globecast”) and BBC Worldwide (“BBC”) to distribute four (4) BBC channels via the MEASAT-3 satellite. 

  • BBC Earth HD showcasing the work of the world’s foremost factual filmmakers.
  • BBC Lifestyle HD on home, design, and food to entertain, engage and inspire.
  • CBeebies HD for children under six, delivering a safe, non-violent, interactive experience to promote imaginative play, social interaction, language skills and educational values.
  • BBC Entertainment featuring seductive contemporary drama and thrilling crime series along with classic and cutting-edge comedy.

“MEASAT is excited to partner with Globecast and support the distribution of these channels via the MEASAT-3 distribution platform,” said Yau Chyong Lim, Chief Commercial Officer, MEASAT. “The addition of these channels strengthens the MEASAT video neighbourhood and MEASAT’s position as the satellite provider of choice.”

MEASAT-3 is collocated with the MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b satellites at Asia’s prime video hot slot of 91.5°E. The three satellites form the region’s strongest video neighbourhood, providing UHD, HD and SD channels across Asia, Australia, East Africa and Eastern Europe.

# # #

About MEASAT

MEASAT is a premium supplier of services to leading broadcasters, Direct-To-Home (DTH) platforms and telecom operators. With capacity across six (6) communication satellites, MEASAT provides satellite services to over 150 countries representing 80% of the world’s population across Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Australia.

The MEASAT satellite fleet includes the state-of-the-art MEASAT-3, MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b satellites co-located at 91.5°E, supporting Asia’s premium DTH and video distribution neighbourhood; MEASAT-2 at 148.0°E; and, MEASAT-5 at 119.5°E. In Africa, the AFRICASAT-1a satellite at 46.0°E provides satellite capacity across the African continent with connectivity to Europe, the Middle East, Malaysia and Singapore. The MEASAT fleet will be further strengthened end 2018 with the addition of MEASAT-2a at 148.0°E.

Working with a select group of world-class partners, MEASAT also provides a complete range of broadcast and telecommunications solutions. Services include UHD/HD and SD video play-out, video turnaround, co-location, uplinking, broadband and IP termination services. For more information, please visit www.measat.com.

Contact: Ilham Bakti Adnan / ilham@measat.com / +60 3 82132154

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