| MUMBAI: The BBC World Service has hit the
road to meet its many listeners across Uganda and to broadcast programmes
live till Thursday 27 October 2005.
The BBC World Service roadshow will visit major towns in Uganda
promoting connectivity with flagship programmes Network Africa,
Fast Track and Africa Have Your Say. Audiences will be given the
opportunity to directly engage with the programmes via a special
SMS text number 00 44 77 86 20 2008 and requested
to Save This Number, Send Your Message and Have Your Say (Save-Send-Say).
The BBC's top African presenter, Paul Bakibinga, himself a Ugandan,
is the face of the campaign which tours towns in Southern Uganda
Masaka, Mbarara, Fort Portal, Jinja, Tororo and Mbale, as
well as the capital, Kampala. Along with encouraging people to Save-Send-Say
with the BBC's special SMS text number for the newly re-launched
Africa Have Your Say and Fast Track programmes, he will also distribute
new scheduling information and collect questions for the programmes.
Bakibinga says, "This is a great opportunity to meet our audiences.
They know and recognise us by our voices, and we can hear them,
too, as they call, message or email our programmes, engage in the
BBC's global conversation."
BBC World Service regional executive editor, Africa and Middle
East Region Kari Blackburn says that the main aim of the Uganda
roadshow is to get people involved with the BBC output and encourage
them to have their say. "We will be talking to them, asking
them to fill in questionnaires, and encourage them to have their
say on issues which are important to them. We will also give them
a chance to suggest subjects they would like to hear discussed in
the future. We want them to feel that all our programmes are really
for them and about them."
BBC World Service editor African Productions Martin Davies says,
"Uganda is one of the BBC's biggest markets in Africa for English-speaking
audiences with about two million Ugandans listening to us weekly.
We want to showcase our special African programming to them. Our
top presenters, Bola Mosuru, Vera Kwakofi and Solomon Mugera Omollo
are all coming to Uganda to broadcast their programmes - Network
Africa, Fast Track and Africa Have Your Say
live from Kampala and Jinja."
BBC World Service is an international radio and online broadcaster
delivering programmes and services in 43 languages. It uses multiple
platforms to reach 149 million listeners globally, including SW,
AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has more than 2,000
partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships
supplying content to mobile phones.
Africa, Have Your Say - the hour long interactive BBC radio
and online programme formerly known as Africa Live! - will
now increase from one day a week to broadcast every Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday at 4 pm GMT.
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