Behind the Scenes at the UK Elections

BBC World Service dedicated almost 11 hours of their schedule to a special programme on the UK elections, which covered the results as they came in from across the country. Senior duty editor Michael Duncan explains how information is selected to suit the network’s diverse, global audience. Rajan Datar also speaks to BBC presenter Philippa Thomas, Rachael Akidi, the current editor of Focus on Africa and James Harding, the director of News and Current Affairs who explain why this election is one of the most complex yet most interesting to report.

And with a current audience of 1.7 million listeners, what are the main challenges faced by the BBC Somali service who are now the most popular station in the region? At present, the service contends with broadcasting in three different languages, with a third of their listeners coming via mobile phones. It also deals with having a significant audience outside Somalia and most interestingly in Kenya where just over 800, 000 people tune into the service every week. East Africa Editor Caroline Karobia explains the service’s role in a country dealing with ongoing conflicts and whether there is a duty to help the local community.