From 6 January the Arabic programmes of DW-RADIO can be heard on FM in Lebanon. The 60 minute programmes which are broadcast late in the evening can be received in most parts of the country via 11 transmitters in Beirut and other cities. DW director-general Erik Bettermann says that by broadcasting on FM the programmes will reach younger listeners, and he sees the new development as an important contribution to dialogue with the Islamic world.
Germanys international broadcaster signed an agreement with the Voice of Lebanon (VDL) in the autumn of 2004 which made the FM broadcasts possible. The broadcasts reach into neighbouring Syria and its capital Damascus.
DW-RADIOs Arabic Service produces 3 ½ hours of programming daily, broadcast via short wave, in part via medium wave, and via satellite (Nilesat 101). Every day at 19.00 hours UTC, viewers in over 20 countries from Morocco to Saudi-Arabia can also tune into a three hour long Arabic-language TV programme of DW-TV.