PRESS RELEASE
29 June 2005
BBC Africa Live! - Where local meets global
The BBC is bringing African audiences in the UK and across the African continent together for the first time in a unique initiative which combines five of its UK local radio stations with the BBC World Service’s specialist interactive programme for Africa, Africa Live!
Starting on Monday, 4 July, Africa Live! works with its partner stations in Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda and the BBC local radio stations so, people in communities in the UK and across Africa can share and explore a range of issues affecting their lives, from investment and health to sport.
The Africa Live! anchor, Solomon Mugera will be on the ground at BBC stations in Cornwall, Derby, Leicester, Manchester and Three Counties talking to people about the issues of the day. Simultaneously in Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique on-the-ground presenters will discuss the same issues with local people in the markets, the schools and the streets. Radio, digital and satellite listeners in the UK and local radio station audiences in Africa will simultaneously hear and be able to engage with broadcasts.
Martin Davies, Editor of Africa Live! said: “Every day is different and has a topic with resonance for both communities. Our teams are undertaking the project to try to gauge the level of engagement between Africa and the UK. The Africa Live! community conversations will encourage people to become active participants of the global dialogue.”
The week starts on Monday, 4 July, with a sporting theme: to what extent is any sporting contest won inside the head? BBC Radio Derby and the BBC’s Nigerian partner station Ray Power team up for a discussion on Nigerian footballer Taribo West who played for UK’s Derby County in 2000 and is returning to the city to take part in the show. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in West’s home town of Port Harcourt, Ray Power will be connected via satellite to the show as guests and presenter Oworu Oloyede will join Solomon Mugera of Africa Live! and BBC Derby’s Ross Fletcher.
During the rest of the week the teams will discuss with their audiences what they invest in, what they can expect from their health services, how to open up their part of the world to visitors and still keep it special, and what the relationship is between the UK Premiership and African football. The locations are as follows:
Tuesday, 5 July: BBC Radio Leicester and Radio 1 in Kampala, Uganda
Wednesday, 6 July: BBC Radio Cornwall and MCR in Maputo, Mozambique
Thursday, 7 July: BBC Radio Three Counties and Kiss FM in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Friday, 8 July: BBC Radio GMR and Ray Power in Lagos, Nigeria
For further information, please contact:
Lala Najafova, International Publicist, BBC World Service
+44(0)207557 2944; lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk
Note to editors:
BBC World Service broadcasts programmes around the world in 43 languages and is available on radio and online. It has a global audience of 149 million listeners. BBC World Service is available globally on short wave; on FM in 144 cities; and selected programmes are carried on around 2,000 FM and MW radio stations around the world. The BBC World Service websites receive around 335 million page impressions every month.
Africa Live! is the BBC’s interactive radio and online programme connecting millions of listeners in Africa and across the world. Listeners can express their opinions, share problems and discuss solutions to major issues including politics, health, crime and family relationships.
BBC Local Radio in England and the national radio stations for Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland provide millions of listeners with the opportunity to engage with their communities. The stations broadcast high quality new, informative magazine programmes , phone-ins and debates: forming a vital part of the BBC's public service role. 10 local radio stations are forming longer term partnerships with radio stations in Africa.
Frequencies of the BBC Local Radio stations involved in the programme: Radio Leicester 104.9 FM, Radio GMR 95.1/104.6 FM, Radio Derby 104.5 /95.3 96 FM/1116 AM, Radio Cornwall 103.9 /95.2 FM and Radio Three Counties 94.7/95.5/98/103.8/104.5 FM, bbc.co.uk/threecounties
