Deutsche Welle: Comprehensive Reform of DW-RADIO’s English Service

With the beginning of summer time on March 30th 2003, the English Service of DW-Radio undergoes a comprehensive facelift. "The reform of the global 24-hour service is part of our overall corporate strategy and aims to sharpen our profile, especially in the areas of Information, culture, the economy and regionalisation", says DW’s director-general, Erik Bettermann.

The number of broadcasts of the current affairs magazine Newslink is being doubled from four to eight editions a day, with the contents tailored to suit the target area. The frequency of news bulletins is also being increased. "Up-to-date information around the clock is our trademark", says the head of the English Service and editor- in-chief Uta Thofern.

Service, with special attention to listeners’ interests and listening habits, form the basis for programme planning. Thofern: "We have optimised the broadcasting schedule for our regionalised magazines and features, taking account of the different target areas and their time zones."

While short-wave broadcasting continues to have priority in Africa and Asia, in North America, Australia and New Zealand the Deutsche Welle has opted for satellite and the internet plus a substantial extension of re-broadcasting. From summer time onwards, the English Service is to be rebroadcast in the US capital Washington on WAMU, a station in the "National Public Radio Network" (NPR). Newslink will be available to all NPR-stations via the Galaxy satellite. The national stations CBC in Canada and ABC in Australia also re-broadcast DW programmes.

The new, more attractive programming will be easier to market amongst partner stations in the respective target areas, with special emphasis on successful formats such as Arts on the Air, Living in Germany or the new arts series Inspired Minds. The same applies to the business programme Money Talks and the science magazine Spectrum. The weekly magazine Inside Europe has already established a reputation in the USA.

The service to Asia and Africa is being supplemented by two new half-hour programmes Asia This Week and Africa This Week, in addition to the two regionalised editions of Newslink. Development issues have a new weekly slot with World In Progress, and the Man And Environment programme is being extended. "This gives the Deutsche Welle even more opportunities for its successful cooperation with organisations such as the GTZ, WWF and in the future UNESCO", says Uta Thofern.

March, 28th, 2003
059-03

Further information: dw-world.de/english

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