BBC launches news channels for Middle East, Africa

The programmes are part of a suite of changes to both weekday and weekend schedules, with the introduction of six tailored news broadcasts.

The Hub

The Hub with Nik Gowing aims to serve as a news 'nerve centre' for South Asia, providing both the headlines, and detailed analysis of the global news agenda. Gowing's experience as the longest serving presenter on BBC World News, his trademark rigorous interview technique, and his unrivalled political and diplomatic contacts, will give local viewers insight into the top stories of the day. The Hub will take audiences live to the scene of breaking news for the latest developments, and every edition will offer a summary of the key world stories for viewers in South Asia, and the Middle East.

World News Today

World News Today with Zeinab Badawi is for Middle East and African viewers looking for in-depth daily coverage. Focusing on news in the Middle East and Africa, as well as Europe, Badawi will provide a context and understanding to the day's events. With a global agenda, the show features an international news summary, but also provides analysis on the key developments of the week, all tailored to its regional audiences. In addition to news, Badawi will cover arts and culture, giving a preview into the best galleries and exhibitions, using her contacts to gain interviews with globally recognised authors, playwrights and artists.

Business Edition

Business Edition with Tanya Beckett examines the inner workings of business, translating complex financial stories to give viewers a clearer understanding of the rapidly changing global economy, and how it will impact on their lives. Beckett is among the BBC's most respected business journalists, and has also worked in the financial industry. This experience enables her to bring a distinctive, no-nonsense, hands-on approach to the show. Business Edition will take viewers everywhere from the boardrooms of the world's biggest companies to stalls of roadside market traders, providing a complete overview of how business is being challenged on a global scale.

Top news stories are also covered to give a comprehensive picture of the day's events to evening viewers in Middle East and Africa, and in Europe.

New graphic packages

The programmes will be supported by new on-air graphic packages and will broadcast from BBC World News' redesigned studio based in London. And in addition to the news programmes airing on TV, viewers can interact with the presenters via a dedicated facebook page, programme pages on bbc.com/news, on Twitter, via the BBC's Global Minds community, and other social media platforms.

A new programme aimed at a global audience, to be fronted by Lyse Doucet, is also in development and will join the line-up in February. The aim of this programme will be to provide a weekly forum for untold stories. These could be the neglected, forgotten, human stories illustrating the issues behind the conflicts that other networks cannot cover; or it could be social, political and cultural changes from around the world. In addition, all the top news stories of the day will be summarised.

Changes to the weekend line-up

BBC World News' new weekend schedule begins on Friday evenings (Asia evening peak) with a mixture of topical documentary, current affairs, lifestyle and travel programmes. Introducing the weekend line up from 5 February is Weekend World, a new weekly interactive show, presented by Paddy O'Connell, reviewing the range of weekend programmes ahead.

Highlights airing in the February weekend schedule include; Alvin Guide to Good Business (eight part weekly series from 13 February), Saudi Goes to Market (two part weekly series from 20 February) plus episodes of premier discussion forums The World Debate and Doha Debate. Flagship travel programme fast:track, technology show Click, and Talking Movies will also broadcast during the weekend.

Bite-size four minute editions of these flagship programmes will air during the week. Over both the week and weekend schedule, the channel will also ensure the prevalence of news by broadcasting bulletins at the top of each hour.

Richard Porter, BBC World News editorial director, says: "The channel changes represent the next stage of our editorial development at BBC World News. We're reacting to our audiences' have requested from us - they've expressed a real desire for news programmes relevant to their regions, bringing the strengths of our presenters to the fore. By realigning our weekday and weekend schedules, we can provide viewers with accessible and wide-ranging content that suits the way they want to watch us."