Five programmes from BBC News Persian are adding to the schedule of one of Afghanistan’s leading national TV channels, Ariana News. Thanks to this rebroadcasting collaboration, BBC News Persian will now bring Ariana News viewers the flagship news and analysis programme Shast Daghigeh (60 Minutes), Saturday to Wednesday, and the weekly programmes: the current-affairs programme Safheh Do (Page 2 weekend), the interview programme Be-ebarat-eh Digar (HARDtalk), the debate programme Pargar (Compass), and the guide to digital technology, Click.
BBC News Persian has a global weekly audience of 21m on TV, radio and digital. It currently reaches around 8.5m people in Afghanistan every week.
The BBC reaches 12.1m people in Afghanistan every week – 59% of the adult population – with content from BBC News Afghan in Pashto and Dari, BBC News Persian, BBC News Uzbek and the BBC’s English-language news content on radio, TV and digital.
BBC World Service Director of Business Development, Simon Kendall, says: “We are delighted that through this new partnership with Ariana News a suite of BBC News Persian programmes will be available to audiences in Afghanistan. We are excited to be increasing BBC presence on TV in the region and we hope that audiences will enjoy our programmes alongside our digital and audio offer. We look forward to working with Ariana as we establish this important new agreement.”
Ariana News is part of Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN). ATN’s Managing Director, Ali Kasemi, adds: “ATN was founded in 2005 with a mission to provide our viewers with a ‘Window to the World’ so that all Afghans could watch, share, and enjoy the best global news, entertainment, sports and information from around the world. We are very proud to be adding BBC News Persian’s award-winning programming to our content package, and we see this partnership as an exciting continuation of our commitment to bring the world to Afghan viewers and families around the nation.”
Shast Daghigeh will air at 23.00 Kabul Time Saturday to Wednesday; Pargar – 12.00 on Sundays; Be-ebarat-eh Digar – 20.30 on Tuesdays; Safheh Do – 23.00 on Thursdays; Click – 21.30 on Fridays.
BBC News Persian TV is broadcast via satellite (Hotbird, YahSat and Telstar 12) and is streamed live online (and available on demand) on bbc.com/persian and YouTube. BBC News Persian also reaches its audience via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Telegram. BBC News Persian radio broadcasts are visualized, enabling audiences to also watch radio programmes on TV and digital platforms.