BBC News heads to Uganda for a week of live broadcasts
BBC Focus On Africa television and radio, along with the BBC Swahili TV programme, Dira ya Dunia, will hit the road together in January to broadcast live from Uganda for a week from 23 to 27 January.
Published: 10 January 2017
There is so much to explore and discuss in Africa at the moment, that we felt it was the right time for the shows to collaborate and bring something fresh to our audience
This will be the first time the programmes have come together to broadcast from the continent, and will feature special guests and studio audiences on TV, radio and online.
Focus On Africa is the flagship news and current affairs programme for Africa, broadcast every weekday on BBC World News television and BBC World Service radio. The show is presented by some of the biggest names in African journalism, including Peter Okwoche, Sophie Ikenye and Paul Bakibinga, as well as Salim Kikeke and Dayo Yusuf from Dira ya Dunia.
“There is so much to explore and discuss in Africa at the moment, that we felt it was the right time for the shows to collaborate and bring something fresh to our audience of 111 million people in Africa,” says Sophie Ikenye (pictured). “We’re giving Focus on Africa and Dira ya Dunia a different dimension by coming live from Kampala and featuring voices from the region. It promises to be a fascinating week in one of the world’s most vibrant cities.”
Throughout the week, exclusive stories from BBC correspondents in Malawi, Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone will be featured on the programmes, showcasing the breadth and depth of the BBC’s coverage across the continent, and holding those in positions of responsibility to account.
The shows will also feature some of Uganda’s biggest and best in the entertainment and sports world. There will be live performances from musicians, dance troupes and comedians, as well as special reports from the BBC's reporters in Gabon for the Cup of Nations, where they will join Ugandan fans for the Cranes’ final group match against Mali.
Watch Focus On Africa on BBC World News TV at 1730 GMT, Monday to Friday, and listen on BBC World Service radio at 1500, 1700 and 1900 GMT, Monday to Friday. You can also stay up to date with the week’s stories on the Africa Live page on www.bbc.com/africa and on BBCSwahili.com, and by searching #BBCFOA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. On social media, @BBCAfrica and @BBCSwahili will also share extras, including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
Notes to Editors
The BBC attracts a weekly global news audience of 320 million people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news.
BBC World News and BBC.com, the BBC’s commercially funded international 24-hour English news platforms, are owned and operated by BBC Global News Ltd. BBC World News television is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and over 433 million households and 3 million hotel rooms. The channel’s content is also available on 178 cruise ships, 53 airlines, including 13 distributing the channel live inflight, and 23 mobile phone networks. BBC.com offers up-to-the- minute international news and in-depth analysis for PCs, tablets and mobile devices to more than 95 million unique browsers each month.
BBC World Service delivers news content around the world in English and 28 other language services, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 246 million. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences. For more information, visit bbc.com/worldservice.
AFG / RA
