MUMBAI: The BBC has announced a new deal to launch BBC World News, in markets across the US through Comcast‘s Xfinity TV.

By the end of 2011, the channel will be available in Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Portland, as well as across Northern California, Michigan and Western New England. BBC World News will launch in additional Comcast markets next year.

BBC World News has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world, broadcasting in over 200 countries and territories worldwide with access to more than 70 international newsgathering bureaus globally. BBC World News is expected to be in nearly 15 million US homes by end of 2012.

The channel will bring US audiences high-quality international news, as well as documentaries, lifestyle programs and interviews. Its programming includes the daily newscast, BBC World News America, anchored by Katty Kay.

BBC‘s director of global news Peter Horrocks called the agreement "one of the most important breakthroughs for the BBC‘s international commercial news channel, as it extends its global footprint."

"This deal represents huge progress for BBC World News in the most competitive television marketplace in the world. We know that US viewers increasingly value the smart and impartial international journalism provided by the BBC.

"The BBC and BBC World News are uniquely positioned to offer this via our multilingual, multimedia journalists based around the world. From the changing markets in Europe and Asia to coverage of the Middle East, we know our audiences highly value this global perspective. We will aim to bring Comcast viewers the best of BBC journalism, providing trusted information and in-depth global analysis."

BBC Worldwide America executive VP network distribution Sandy Ashendorf said, "The BBC is renowned for its journalistic integrity and audiences are increasingly hungry for an impartial view on global affairs. We are pleased that XfinityTV is bringing its customers a new and fresh perspective through these BBC World News channel launches. We think this is a significant step towards changing the conversation about news in the US."

Comcast senior VP, GM of video services Marcien Jenckes said, "Our goal is to bring Xfinity TV customers the best and most-current content, and the addition of BBC World News to our line-up is a perfect example of how that is being accomplished.

"We‘re continually enhancing our Xfinity TV service and are pleased to be able to work with the BBC to provide a broad array of international programming to meet the diverse interests of our customers."

The announcement comes as the BBC is strengthening its focus on news targeted for the US.

Earlier this month, it announced the appointment of Dick Meyer as Executive Producer for the BBC‘s news services in America. He will take direct editorial oversight of television and online content produced for US audiences, and coordinate coverage across all platforms, including BBC World News.

MUMBAI: On 2 December 2011, the BBC World News ?Horizons? series visits China, currently the second largest economy in the world, to examine how Chinese brands and manufacturing are growing in significance around the world.

Horizons presenter Adam Shaw is in Shanghai where manufacturers believe that re-shaping the image of China, with good designs and presentation, will establish more desirable international brands for export to the West.

Shaw visits a company building brands around traditional Chinese values, including tea ceremonies, to find a resonance in potential export markets. He also visits a company that produces contemporary bone china designs, which are then sold to exclusive shops and displayed in five star hotels around the world.

Shaw meets Dr Chen Junsong, lecturer at the China European International Business School. Dr Junsong says; "In many markets the sale of big brand automobiles has shrunk. China is one of the markets which has a different situation. China is currently the second largest market for BMW, Audi and Mercedes and it is possible that the country could overtake the number of sales in Germany next year. The sale of many European brands in China has increased by 40 per cent, so you could say that without China, some leading European brands would be having a harder time."

Shaw said, "European brands are still very popular in China, and the rest of Asia, but the markets indicate that Chinese brands will become more influential in the future. The next generation will experience the rise of Chinese influence. Not just its economic influence, but its social and cultural influence as well. In the future it could be Chinese brands, faces and values that dominate the shelves of shops the world over."

MUMBAI: BBC World News‘ Country Direct series, which looks to go behind the headlines to explore everyday life in one country, is focusing on India this month.

‘India Direct‘ on BBC World News features a series of reports and programming focusing on the country, including the World Debate from the World Economic Forum in Mumbai.

The India Direct season explores a range of issues and topics, from the economy and the challenges facing the local workforce to standards of living for people at every level of society.

Programming highlights include:

‘World Debate - Can India Beat Corruption?‘ This airs on 19 November at 9:10 am, 10:10 pm and on 20 November at 3:10 pm. India is struggling with corruption at all levels of society, from petty bribery to multi-billion dollar scandals touching the highest levels of government. After a summer of protests India is faced with challenging this critical issue head on. But can India beat corruption? That‘s the question the BBC World Debate asks a panel including Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs Ashwani Kumar; social activist, India Against Corruption Kiran Bedi; Godrej Group chairman and Confederation of Indian Industry president designate Adi Godrej; and Transparency International chair Hugette Labelle. The debate is presented by Nik Gowing and filmed at the World Economic Forum in Mumbai.

One Square Mile will air on 19 November at 8:30: am and 20 November at 2:30 pm and 10:30 pm. It will explore one square mile of Mumbai as BBC‘s Sanjoy Majumder explores a concentrated area of the city and speaks to locals to find out more about their neighbourhood.

Talking Movies will have a special edition on 26 November at 8:30 pm and 27 November at 7:30 am. The show‘s anchor Tom Brook hears from some of the biggest names in Indian film - including Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Runbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra, to those at the cutting edge of independent cinema. He also goes behind the scenes at a big Bollywood studio and explores how Indians consume their movies whether it be from video streaming to an old-fashioned single screen cinema.

India Business Report - Bangalore Special airs on 20 November. This special edition of India Business Report is in Bangalore to examine how India‘s rapidly growing IT industry has transformed the city over the past decade into a major economic hub. The programme will look at the impact of the global financial crisis on India‘s ‘Silicon Valley‘ and what that means for jobs and the wider economy. From industry leaders to young start-ups, the team speaks to India‘s successful innovators.

The programme will also report on other challenges facing Bangalore. Economic transformation has come hand in hand with rapid population growth. BBC explores the pressures on the city‘s infrastructure and services, and how Bangalore is addressing the issue of congestion, with a newly opened Metro, and plans to pilot a bicycle scheme following similar schemes in London and Paris.

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide regional director ad sales, South Asia Seema Mohapatra has put in her papers.

Mohapatra will leave mid-December, after spending 12 and a half years in the organisation. She was handling ad sales for BBC World News, BBC Entertainment and bbc.com. 

Mohapatra said she has not decided on her next move. "I will take a break. After that, I will see what to do."

MUMBAI: Having completed 20 years since being on air, BBC World News is preparing to move into a new state-of-the-art newsroom in 2012.

In 1991, the channel started broadcasting to Europe as BBC World Service Television. By 1995 it was available across all major continents as BBC World. Three years ago, in 2008, the channel re-branded as BBC World News and is today available in close to 300 million households around the world.  
     
  BBC World News is currently preparing to join the rest of the BBC?s newsgathering operation at Broadcasting House in central London in 2012, in what it says will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced news studios in the world.

BBC Global News acting controller of English Richard Porter says, "The changes we?ve witnessed in the past 20 years, in both the way we gather news and the way stories interconnect, have been far-reaching and dramatic. Technological advances have brought real immediacy to global news and people are far more interested and engaged with the rest of the world now - they understand the way the big stories connect us all. The role of channels like BBC World News is now more important than ever in that respect."

Nik Gowing, the longest-serving presenter on the channel, adds: "The world is such a different place to the one we often struggled to cover both editorially and technologically in 1991; the latest upheavals in Egypt, Libya and across the Middle East are the latest examples of the dramatic pace at which huge stories now develop, and the swift impact they have globally. We give our large audience an international.

perspective with the analysis they want. Above all, the new go-anywhere digital technologies and social media have created the exciting ability to bring them the news from almost anywhere and, in most cases, instantaneously."