The BBC World Service is to have a special day of live programming later this month to mark its 80th birthday.
Audiences will also get a behind the scenes look at the station’s long-term home in Bush House, ahead of the move to join other BBC radio stations in Broadcasting House.
Highlights of programming on 29th February include a special global audience with Sir David Attenborough and shows being broadcast from Bush House’s open courtyard in front of live audiences.
The BBC World Service’s daily morning editorial meeting will also be broadcast live for the first time and highlight how editors discuss and agree the big stories and decide the day’s news agenda.
Audiences will also be able to see behind the scenes via the World Service website.
Peter Horrocks, Director of BBC Global News, said: “The 80th birthday and departure from Bush House means these are historic and changing times for the BBC World Service. We want our audiences to be at the heart of both the commemoration of the past and conversation about the future.”
BBC World Service Commissioning Editor, Steve Titherington, said: “We are turning Bush House inside out showing who we are and what we do to our audiences and asking what the world wants next from the BBC World Service.”
Special programmes for 29th February 2012 on BBC World Service
BBC World Service English – much of the day’s global schedule from 07:00 to 23:00 GMT will broadcast live from outside Bush House:
09:00 – The live news meeting – normally conducted behind closed doors, audiences will for the first time be given insight into the inner workings of the newsroom.
11:00 – World Have Your Say – the global interactive news discussion programme will ask audiences around the world what they want the programme to be about on that day.
15:00 – A live global audience with Sir David Attenborough.
17:00 – World Business Report and Focus on Africa will link up to broadcast a special programme asking how business journalism is reporting the financial crisis with Alistair Darling on the panel, and looking at the creative energy and entrepreneurship coming out of Africa.
19:00 Health Check – will air a special programme to launch The Human Race Season – a raft of programmes examining the human body. Endurance runners and sprinters, sports psychologists, doctors and coaches will all be in the courtyard to try to answer ‘What makes an Olympic athelete?’
20:00 – 22:00 – Newshour, BBC World Services flagship current affairs show, will broadcast a special debate looking at the future of international broadcasting.
22:00 – 23:00 – The Strand Extra – BBC World Service’s global arts show, will be edited by special guest artist and music producer William Orbit.
Posted on Thursday, February 16th, 2012 at 11:24 pm by RadioToday UK