We wondered what listeners felt about the World Service's coverage of the Royal Wedding in London - and how you rated the reporting of the other big story of the week - the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

The Over To You inbox had praise and some dissent about the BBC's coverage of the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ...William and Kate to you and me.

One satisfied listener was K. Jameel Ahmed.

He describes himself as "an ardent listener" to the BBC since 1973 and wanted to thank all concerned for the coverage of the wedding.

But Audrey from Nairobi in Kenya, who calls herself," a disappointed fan of Network Africa says she was "disgusted" by a breakfast report from Congo where people there were asked what they thought of the Royal wedding.

"The wedding is not African, not an African son, not an African daughter - if you have to tell us something about this wedding, then justify how it should concern me... other than the fact that the BBC is British and hopes the whole world will one day be."

I spoke to the BBC's Acting Global News Editor Jamie Angus who was responsible for the coverage to put this point to him and get his post match analysis on the Royal wedding - and I asked him did it all go as planned?

You can find out if it did on the podcast.

We also asked Jamie about the other big story of the last week or so- the death of Osama Bin Laden which provoked a range of opinions from listeners including this observation:

"For hours today on long wave, Bin Laden's killing filled airtime as the only story run.

"Gaddafi's forces bombing Misrata and al-Assad's thugs arresting rebels went unreported.

"Not a word on another vital Middle East story - peace hopes via a bid for Palestinian unity.

"At such times, listeners will ask why the station's name remains the WORLD Service."

All in all a momentous week! Keep you emails and calls coming to Over to You.

Your views will be taken into account when we look at future versions of the site.

Kelly Shephard, Managing Editor, BBC World Service Future Media.

Editor's note: Kelly is on this week's edition of Over To You discussing the changes.

--

Regular visitors to BBCWorldService.com will notice some big, exciting changes have happened to the website.

The new design will make it easier to keep track of what's going on and this applies not just to our award-winning global news coverage, but also to the in-depth documentaries and feature programmes that tell you not just what's happening, but why.

But despite the change in look and feel, our agenda remains the same.

Here we will be showcasing the best of BBC World Service content - and using text, audio and video to bring you the highlights from our programmes.

Links to our schedules and frequencies will ensure that you never miss a programme.
Meanwhile, social media links enable you to share and engage with the day's global news and regular blogs such as World Have Your Say, remain committed to engaging the audience in a global conversation.

We're looking forward to hearing your comments on the changes. You can get in touch with us by commenting on this post, or talking to us on Twitter and Facebook.

On Over To You this week we take a look at the work of the Burmese Service.

2 September will be their seventieth anniversary and, let's face it, covering Burma is no easy task.

The military junta who rule the country do not allow the BBC any access and the recent history of the country has been extremely turbulent; from the monks protests of 2007, to the cyclone which devastated the country in the same year, to the forthcoming elections due later on in 2010, Burma is a country which is rarely far from the news agenda.

And this is without even mentioning the continuing house arrest of Aung San Su Kyi, a woman who in spite of all of the odds, remains firmly in the public eye. How can a station with no access to its beat possibly continue for so long?

Also on the programme, how many of you speak the language of finance? A listener contacted us concerned that terms like "Quantitative Easing" conceal what he would describe as the far simpler "Printing Money."

Is there a danger that the language of finance could conceal more than it reveals?

Sometimes getting facts out of Burma seems a lot simpler than doing the same with the world of finance.

I do hope you manage to listen. Rajan Datar will be back from his holidays next week.

Tazeen Ahmad is this week's presenter of Over To You

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).

• Listen to previous episodes of Over To You
• Subscribe to the podcast
• Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog

Sia Nyama Koroma, Sierra Leone
Profession: Nurse and a chemical engineer

"Once a nurse, always a nurse," is a mantra for Mrs Sia Nyama Koroma, first lady of Sierra Leone, as she says in her soft and gentle voice.

These were soothing words to me as l arrived in Freetown feeling exhausted and hungry after traveling all night and all day from London. I knew my search for the elusive African First ladies had begun.

Sierra Leone is struggling to get back on its feet after years of a bloody conflict. I felt l had just arrived in the middle of a big bonanza. Most of the people l met were happy and optimistic. Roads are being constructed, big houses, small houses and large mansions are springing up all over the country - and I am constantly reminded that peace has come to stay. Who better reinforces that but Mrs Koroma? A strong woman who comes from a very assertive ethnic group of the country - lovely, soft spoken, caring and a very approachable stateswoman.

With all the diamonds in Sierra Leone, none were on the fingers of the first lady. No bling to be found - you would be hard pressed to see it anywhere on her person.

She did something unexpected. She took me out for lunch in a modest restaurant in town. A girls' lunch, just the two of us. I had to pinch myself to remind me where l was and with whom l was dining.

This leg of the trip was a feat of organisation and planning. Nothing was left to chance.

The flight time tables were checked and doubled checked. One false move and it would take weeks before l would get to Ghana from Sierra Leone. Will my plane show up or would l suffer the fate of sleeping on the floor of the airport?

I made it to Accra and caught up with Mrs Ernestina Mills, first lady of Ghana, a day earlier than planned.

She has a warm personality and charming manners, though she came across as very reclusive. I found a woman who was still trying to understand and cope with her role. She talks of having to "straighten her face" in the glare of scrutiny and how to handle the paparazzi who can turn up anywhere, any time.

I got a real sense of her having a public face and a "behind the scenes" face as she stands by the side of the most powerful man in Ghana.

As a teacher she is passionate about the youth, especially the girls, and works hard to promote their projects.

Her favourite pastime is to play with her dogs, a habit she inherited from her father. She will be in good company with dog lovers - like the Queen with her corgis!

Penehupifo Pohamba, Namibia
Profession: Nurse and midwife

This was a challenge for me! Mrs Penehupifo Pohamba! How do I say her name without tripping or biting my tongue?

Those thoughts vanished away as soon as we met. She was motherly and a good listener. One thing was made clear! She does not like the limelight at all, and prefers for things to be done behind the scenes.

Her favourite colour is blue, so no guessing what colours of garment she was wearing!

She hates high heel shoes. She likes practical clothes because she is a hands-on, down to earth person; her passion is gardening, something she misses so much.

With her girly giggles she still looks demure but forceful underneath, and puts forward her ideas with passion. She decries the fact that she cannot visit her farm and goats without the pomp and official protocol that accompanies her everywhere she goes. She just wants to be left alone to catch her breath without being chaperoned around.

Now as a first lady she has had to abandon any previous "footloose and fancy-free" ways she may well have had in the past. No more dancing until the wee hours of the morning. She tells me she is unable to cook even her favourite dishes because she is not allowed in the kitchen.

"So what can you do?" I asked her.

"Well," she replied. "make my own decrees to be allowed to do certain things my way."

Thandiwe Banda, Zambia
Profession: Teacher

She is the youngest first Lady Zambia has ever had, even younger than some of her husband's children from his previous marriage.

She is a mother of twins - twins that came as a big shock to her husband, Zambia's leader Rupiah Banda.

The twins are now five years old, very playful and are a handful as their parents will testify.

The first lady is very animated when she narrates stories about her children; the lovely times they spent in their manicured green gardens at the state house. With pride she pointed out her favourite place under a large tree where barbecues are prepared outdoors.

What struck me most about her was her eagerness to do the right things. She is new to the job but tries to live in a way that conforms to the unwritten codes of her position..The easy clothes like jeans and simple T-shirts that she wore daily on the farm where she roamed freely have made way for more formal outfits that befit a first lady.

She is pre-occupied with her young children, her husband and the various charities that she can help promote around the country.

Janet Museveni, Uganda
Profession: MP and Cabinet Minister

Unlike the other first ladies l met, Mrs Janet Museveni, first Lady of Uganda was different in every sense.

This is the interview that tested my resolve and pushed my patience to the limit.

A firm arrangement was not made before l left London - this meant travelling to other countries in the sub-region but being always prepared to travel at short notice to Uganda to meet with her.

I knew it would be difficult but no one prepared me for the long lonely nights l would spend in a Nairobi hotel waiting for a call from Uganda. I was determined to interview this important and influential woman even if it would be the last interview l ever did.

The call came and l flew to Kampala.

While in the waiting room, my thoughts went for a small walk. At the state house I was managed physically and verbally by the staff who seemed to be everywhere. The security chaps checked my recording equipment and returned it to me.

While l was waiting l took the opportunity to admire the glittering and ornate state house, the beautiful green and lush gardens perched on a hill overlooking the airport and the rest of the town of Entebbe patrolled by armed guards. I had to behave myself.

Finally the door of the waiting room opened and l was taken to meet Mrs Museveni. I walked into the room where she was seated behind a large table with a picture of her husband looking down on our activities. She rose up and greeted me...then apologised for the delay and wished me well.

She is relaxed, poised and very measured in her responses to my questions. She tells me she cares deeply for the poor and less privileged of her country.

She recalls her childhood in a loving community where she grew up and how all that has changed, like many things today.

The first lady of Uganda has also changed. No longer the unworldly girl she was, now she exudes the powerful presence of a genuine first lady.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).

The below is a tiny selection from the past couple of weeks - be sure to check out our Flickr group which is updated often.

(8 more pictures)

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).

I hadn't been expecting to produce Over to You at the start of this week.

But when my colleague Cathy Packe - who usually looks after the programme - rang to say she was stuck in Spain under a volcanic ash cloud, I was intrigued to have the chance to step in.

It was a great chance to hear the views of listeners to the World Service and to find out more
about some of the recent programmes on the network.

Our main item this week has been about Steve Evans' documentary - 'Would You Kill The Big Guy?' - an intriguing title for an exploration of one of the big questions of moral philosophy. 

Over to You has already covered listeners' views about whether it had been trailed too often.

But what about the programme itself?

We've persuaded two of our listeners, Peter Olsen and Catherine Cook, to turn radio reviewer.

They joined Rajan to tell him what they did and didn't like about the programme:

It's a fascinating discussion, which is well worth a listen. The full documentary is available to listen to here.

Election fever

And here in London we've been following the twists and turns of the British General Election and its aftermath.

As someone who's normally followed UK politics on the BBC's domestic networks, I was really interested to find out more about how the World Service has covered the extraordinary events of the past week or so.

UK Election Editor, Michael Duncan, spoke to 'Over To You' about the challenges of interpreting the UK political scene for a global audience.

That's all on this week's 'Over To You.'

Cathy is now safely returned to the UK so I'm handing the programme back to her for next week.

Louise Adamson is the Producer of this week's Over To You.

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).

Recently, in Britain, Doctor Who fans were up in arms when a trail for another BBC show was over-layed on screen during the episode's dramatic climax.

Meanwhile here on World Service, listeners have been getting in touch about the trailer for 'Would you kill the big guy?', a programme which first aired this morning in the Wednesday Documentary slot.

Here's the segment from this week's Over To You - in which you can hear the trail in question:

Opinions split down the middle, it seems.

"I figured that if a programme needs that many traliers, it must be really bad," said Catherine, an "avid" listener of the network.

Is this the case?

Find out for yourself. You can listen to the full version of 'Would you kill the big guy?' right now by clicking here. Or, if you're the sort who prefers to listen on a train, you can download the podcast version here - and just hope your journey isn't interrupted by a big guy.

Once you've had a good listen - come back here and let us know: Did the trailer live up to the programme?

And would you kill the big guy?

Living in Britain - during an election campaign as we are now - I find it difficult to imagine what it would be like only to have a monopoly state-run radio and television with no outlet for independent voices. But in Zimbabwe - there is only state-run broadcasting.

A Zimbabwe Media Commission has been appointed and last month declared its intention to promote and protect the media - and of course - the BBC is now allowed to send its reporters openly into the country. Does this mean a new era of media freedom may be getting closer? Not according to Rajan's guest this week, Gerry Jackson. She's the station manager and founder of SW Radio Africa, a UK-based radio station staffed by exiled Zimbabwean journalists. She thinks no real progress will be made as long as Robert Mugabe remains in power.

And radio listeners in Somalia have also had a raw deal this week. Not only have many stations stopped broadcasting music on their airwaves because an Islamist group declared songs un-Islamic, but already, five of the BBC's FM relays in Southern Somalia have been closed down by a different Islamist group, Al-Shabab. We have a response from the BBC World Service's Head of Africa region Jerry Timmins on the show.

Also on the programme this week, we hear from Guy Thornton - a listener in the Netherlands - who had queries about the World Service website. He wasn't the only one to spot that our podcast hadn't been available last weekend. Apologies! It's there now.

We spoke to Susie Goldring, the Editor of the World Service website, who responded to Guy and told us about plans to improve the schedules and documentaries sections of the website. Below she explains more about the forthcoming changes and improvements.

Improving World Service Programme Information Online By Susie Goldring

Over the last few months, we've been looking at redeveloping the How and When to Listen Index on the World Service website. In particular, we want to make the information as clear as possible - so that it's easier for listeners to find out when a particular programme is on and how they can listen to it.

We know that it's difficult for listeners to find out when a programme is being broadcast and the scheduling information itself can be quite disorientating. The World Service schedules are dependent both on the way you choose to listen - whether you are listening via FM radio, DAB radio, online or satellite for instance - and where you are listening from. So, a user wanting to find out what programmes are being broadcast in Accra via FM radio for example, will be offered a different schedule to someone wanting to find out when a programme is on in Brussels, via satellite.

We're going to be launching the updated How and When to Listen Index at the end of May, which will make programme schedule information clearer to the listener, as well as more information about the different ways you can listen to the World Service from where you are.

Another development we are currently working on is redesigning our Documentaries Index. We often receive emails from listeners saying that they only heard part of a documentary on-air and want to listen to it again online. Our documentaries are currently listed by their title in alphabetical order - however with names such as Shed Men and Return to Trebizond - it means that if you don't know the title of the documentary, it can prove challenging to find it again online. We're now going to be tagging and grouping our documentaries by topics so you are able to find them more easily under issues like 'health', 'politics' and 'religion' - this will also make them easier to find across the BBC website as a whole.

Finally I'm pleased to say that the World Service website has received a Webby nomination for our podcast service. With over five million downloads per month, the World Service English and language podcasts are some of the most popular across the BBC, so it's great to see this reflected by the industry's most prestigious award. If you're a fan of our podcasts you too can vote via the Webbys site.

Penny Vine is the producer of Over To You

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).

• Listen to previous episodes of Over To You
• Subscribe to the podcast
• Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog.
]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/04/a_new_era_of_media_freedom_in.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/04/a_new_era_of_media_freedom_in.html Africa Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:28:26 +0000 By Rajan Datar

The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has announced the date of the country's general election. The chattering classes here are all of a Twitter but of how much interest is it to the rest of the world - and indeed World Service listeners outside the UK?

That's the question we pose this week to two language service chiefs and the editor of Focus on Africa. The gist of their response is it's the BBC's job to find angles and stories so the political situation in the UK becomes even more gripping and relevant to their listeners!

One view expressed by the head of the Vietnamese service, is that it is the British Broadcasting Corporation you are all listening to, so of course you'll be interested and of course the language sections will take the opportunity of their presence in the UK to cover the election thoroughly. And I'd be interested to know if any of you dissent from this position? Let us know - post a comment to this blog.

Joseph Warungu the editor of Focus on Africa, reflects on his role providing occasional reports on how the British 'do' elections. As a veteran of two American presidential campaigns and several African elections, he casts a wry look at the similarities and differences between a UK poll and the others he's covered. As he told us, people in Africa are particularly interested in issues such as the expenses scandal which has led the British public to question whether their politicians are as honest as they could be. Joseph says "I was speaking to a lot of people in Africa who said aha these are the people who tell us how to do it! Ah, now let's see how they get themselves out of this mess. You think Africans are corrupt, you need to watch Westminster!"

As Britain's politicians hit the campaign trail, we also hear this week about a different kind of journey as the BBC's Hindi service completes three weeks of on-the-ground reports on the effects of the construction of brand new roads across India. The Highways Minister Kamal Nath has announced plans to build 20 kms of roads a day from June 2010. A team of five BBC journalists have travelled over 2,500 kms to speak to people who will be affected by this new infrastructure.

Incidentally, as a footnote to our interview with Amit Baruah, the head of the Hindi service, I was gratified to learn that Amit was so keen to appear on Over To You, he fitted us in before heading off directly to the Indian Prime Minister's office!

Rajan Datar is the presenter of Over To You

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 00:40, 03:40 and 12:40 every Sunday (GMT).

• Listen to previous episodes of Over To You
• Subscribe to the podcast
• Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44 144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog.
]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/04/british_elections_2010_a_globa.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/04/british_elections_2010_a_globa.html Focus on Africa Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:41:35 +0000 Everyday, BBC World Service reporters and programme-makers are out and about all over the world doing what they do best - telling stories.

You can see many pictures from their travels on the World Service's own Flickr stream by clicking here.

Here are just a few recent highlights.



Documentary maker Nina Robinson is in Kenya recording for Assignment. She meets these women who talk to her about the issues important to them - abortion, child marriage, equality and access to business loans.

(10 more pictures)


]]>

Nina is in the country to learn about anti-gay attitudes. In Kenya, homosexuality is illegal.



She discovers that the anti-gay "message" is bringing Christians and Muslims together. Here, a preacher shakes hands with a Sheikh.



The programme will also deal with drug problems. This man calls himself Prophet Rasta. He says he has been in the drugs industry for the past 14 years.



World Football is in Rwanda to visit a special refugee camp. FC Barcelona donated $100,000 (US) for various projects. In this picture, Barcelona club president Joan Laporta presents Rwandan sports minister Joseph Habineza with a Barca shirt.



The visit caused quite a stir - children crowded around every window to watch the presentation ceremony.



Elsewhere, One Planet's Mike Williams heads to the water for a spot of canoeing.



He was joined at the paddle by Helen Skelton, a presenter on the British children's television show Blue Peter. She'd just kayaked the entire length of the Amazon river.



No such high-adventure this time, though - aside from the occasional inquisitive duck.



The Digital Planet team have been at South By South West Interactive, talking here to digital identity expert Aaron Strauss about the dangers of ID theft.



It wasn't all so serious, though. Digital Planet's commentator Bill Thompson met Tweeture - an interactive alien that requires hugs, kisses, movement (which is can detect via GPS tracking) and most importantly many tweets in order for it to feel looked after. Rather like Bill himself, actually.

See all these pictures, and more, on the BBC World Service Flickr stream.

]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/03/picture_post_kenya_canoeing_an.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/03/picture_post_kenya_canoeing_an.html Picture post Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:52:10 +0000

Correction 4 November 2010: This page has been amended following a complaint by the Band Aid Trust, which was upheld by the BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit. For more information please click here.

An Assignment documentary into the use of aid money in Ethiopia during the 1980s has provoked much debate across the world's media. We discussed the programme on this week's episode of Over To You - which you can listen to again here.

Below is a round-up of the key coverage surrounding the story so you can have the full picture:

• Article: Read Martin Plaut's feature about the programme on the BBC News website. [3 March]
• Audio: Listen again to BBC World Service Africa Editor Martin Plaut's original programme, Aid for Arms in Ethiopia, or download as a podcast (mp3, 11MB). [4 March]
• Article: The Independent newspaper (UK) carries a frontpage story in which Band Aid organiser Sir Bob Geldof says he has reported the BBC to media regulator Ofcom for "disgracefully poor reporting" which "relied on dubious sources and rumour". [6 March]
• Blog: BBC World Service News and Current Affairs editor Andrew Whitehead, introduced by Director of Global News Peter Horrocks, writes on the BBC News Editors Blog. [6 March]
• Video: Geldof also responds furiously to the story in an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr. [7 March]
• Audio: Geldof then challenges Whitehead to provide proof that the claims in the report are correct. [7 March]
• Comment: Former BBC journalist Rageh Omaar writes about the story for the Guardian newspaper (UK), wondering "why the strong and blanket reaction without a hint of wanting to know more?". [8 March]
• Comment: Omaar's piece prompted Geldof to write his own column in the same newspaper, asking: "Where were all the dead people then? If no one was getting food, why was nobody dying? That would have been one of the first questions I'd have asked." [9 March]
• Article: In the Independent, Geldof calls for Peter Horrocks to be sacked over the story, as well Andrew Whitehead and Martin Plaut. [10 March]
• Audio: Whitehead appears on BBC Radio 4's Media Show to stress that the BBC is standing by its story. Listen again online, or download as a podcast (mp3, 14MB). [10 March]
• Comment: In an editorial, the Daily Mail (UK) describes Geldof's comments as "a typical, childishly choleric outburst" - adding that the BBC "deserves praise for this piece of journalism". [11 March]
• Comment: Alasdair Palmer writes in the Telegraph (UK) that: "The truth may not help aid organisations to maximise donations. But that isn't a reason for suppressing reports such as Martin Plaut's on the World Service." [13 March]
• Comment: Former editor of the BBC Radio 4's Today programme Rod Liddle writes in The Times, suggesting the "'Bono 'n' Bob' effect" presented a "simplistic vision of Third World poverty". [14 March]
• Comment: An opinion column in the Ethiopian Review accuses Geldof of "throwing temper tantrums on the talk show circuits". [15 March]
• Comment: In the Daily Mail (UK), Richard Dowden, author of Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles, writes that "the irony that escapes Geldof is that guns and getting rid of the Mengistu regime may have been Live Aid's greatest contribution to preventing a new famine". [15 March]

 

]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/03/roundup_assignment_ethiopia_an.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/03/roundup_assignment_ethiopia_an.html Assignment Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:48:01 +0000 BBC World Service has begun broadcasting a daily 20-minute programme for Haiti. Transmission time is 9:10 to 9:30 local time (14:10 to 14:30 GMT). The programme will be produced and edited by a BBC team in Miami. In a special post for the Over To You blog, the BBC's Nick Miles describes the challenges he and his team have had to overcome to put out the lifeline programme:

It's been an extremely swift launch of a new radio service to say the least.



It was only about four days from the first ideas being jotted down on a piece of paper to the programme, Connexion Haiti, going on air.

But it had to be quick.

The need for information in Haiti is acute and many of the local stations are still off air so Connexion Haiti is providing an important service for Haitians.

When we arrived at the BBC offices here in Miami last Thursday we already knew we had two Haitian Americans living in Miami who would present the programme. We also had a means of transmitting the programme via six FM frequencies across Haiti.

The frequencies are normally used by Radio France International for their broadcasts and they kindly stepped in to help the our programme gone on air. Connexion Haiti now also goes out on short wave and can he heard via the BBC Caribbean service website.

We broadcast a trial programme on Friday morning to test the signal and tell people how they could listen across Haiti and what they could expect from the programme.

So, with some of the logistics sorted out, we then had to decide what to put in Connexion Haiti.



A man listens to a radio at a refugee camp in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Picture: Associated Press


We knew this was would be a lifeline service for Haitians and we needed to provide as much up-to-the-minute information as possible about where people could find food aid, clean water, medical assistance and shelter. We pulled together that information from, among other sources, our BBC correspondents in Haiti along with the main aid organisations and the US military.

We set about getting a list of people we could interview in the Haitian language, Creole. We wanted to speak to as many people as we could who were working for the relief programme in Haiti to give an idea of where the new distribution points for aid were and where new field hospitals were situated.

But we've also used the interviews to broadcast appeals from the humanitarian organisations, specifically appeals for people to remain calm and to make sure they don't block any of the the main roads that might prevent aid getting through.

Connexion Haiti is also about hearing from ordinary Haitians caught up in the earthquake to find our how they're coping and what they need. To make this happen we set up a dedicated email address for our listeners, along with a number they could text and another where they could leave recorded messages. So far the response has been encouraging.

We've received texts emails and calls from Haitians saying that they're listening to the programme. Some have told us how they survived the earthquake while sadly members of their family did not. Others have left telephone numbers so that loved ones can get in touch.

Others have just emailed to say how important the service is for them because they know that the world cares about what's happened in Haiti. We've tried to broadcast as many of these messages as we can.

The programme's only twenty minutes long, and in that short time we want to get as much crucial information to people as possible but we've also tried to include items that show the people of Haiti that people around the world are thinking about them and taking concrete actions to help. In our first broadcast, for example, we ended the programme with the music of Haitian pop star Wyclef Jean playing at an international charity concert for Haiti.

He bellowed out his solidarity with his compatriots and perhaps that in some small way will give psychological boost to the people of Haiti who are living such desperate times.

Nick Miles is Producer, BBC Connexion Haiti


BBC News coverage of Haiti disaster - Photos: BBC World Service in Haiti


Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and
its programmes. It airs at 10:40 and 23:40 every Saturday, and at 02:40 on Sunday (GMT). 


• Listen to previous episodes of Over To You
• Subscribe to the podcast
  
• Send the team your feedback by email (overtoyou@bbc.co.uk), telephone (44
  144 960 9000), SMS (447786 202006) or by leaving comments on this blog.
]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/01/haiti_broadcasting_a_lifeline.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2010/01/haiti_broadcasting_a_lifeline.html Haiti Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:19:03 +0000 A debate posted earlier today on the BBC's Africa Have Your Say online section has caused controversy across the internet.

You can listen to the radio show by clicking here.

David Stead, the programme's editor, explains the decision:

Africa Have Your Say debated a bill proposing to make gay activities punishable by death in Uganda. The programme asked:

Should homosexuals face execution? Yes, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question. But this is the reality behind an Anti-Homosexuality Bill being debated on Friday by the Ugandan parliament which would see some homosexual offences punishable by death. The bill proposes: Life imprisonment for those convicted of a homosexual act. The death sentence where the offender has HIV, is a 'serial offender' or the other person is under 18. Imprisonment for seven years for 'attempted homosexuality'. The bill claims to 'protect the...traditional family values of the people of Uganda', but it has prompted widespread international condemnation. Homosexuality is regarded as taboo in much of Africa, where it is often regarded as a threat to cultural, religious and social values. Has Uganda gone too far? Should there be any level of legislation against homosexuality? Should homosexuals be protected by legislation as they are in South Africa? What would be the consequences of this bill to you? How will homosexual 'offences' be monitored? Send us your views.

The editors of the BBC Africa Have Your Say programme thought long and hard about using this question which prompted a lot of internal debate.

We agree that it is a stark and challenging question, but think that it accurately focuses on and illustrates the real issue at stake.

If Uganda's democratically elected MPs vote to proceed with the Anti-Homosexuality Bill this week they will bring onto the statute book legislation that could condemn people to death for some homosexual activities.

We published it alongside clear explanatory text which gave the context of the bill itself (see above). And as we said at the top of our debate page, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question. But this is the reality behind the bill.

This issue has already sparked much debate around the world and understandably led to us receiving many e-mails and texts. We have sought to moderate these rigorously while at the same time trying to reflect the varied and hugely diverse views about homosexuality in Africa.

David Stead is Editor of Africa Have Your Say.

You can listen to the radio show by clicking here.

More coverage about the bill from BBC World Service:

Outlook: Homosexuality in Uganda (2 December, 2009)
Uganda considers new anti-gay law (16 October, 2009)

Over To You is your chance to have your say about the BBC World Service and its programmes. It airs at 10:40 and 23:40 every Saturday, and at 02:40 on Sunday (GMT). 


• Listen to previous episodes of Over To You
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]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2009/12/response_to_africa_have_your_s.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2009/12/response_to_africa_have_your_s.html Africa Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:18:37 +0000 If you're not a regular reader of our African news pages, you may have missed this clip of the Focus on Africa team showing how they gather stories and content to broadcast on Africa's foremost news and current affairs programme.



You can listen to Focus on Africa here (opens in a new window).

]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2009/12/behind_the_scenes_at_focus_on.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2009/12/behind_the_scenes_at_focus_on.html Africa Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:44:49 +0000 Last fortnight, we re-launched the website for BBC Ukrainian. Multimedia producer Olexander Hryb writes about some of the changes, and hopes for the future:

We were waiting for this moment for years, and now we have our new website!

Suddenly, BBCUkrainian.com has turned from a marginal appendix to radio into a multimedia site with original video output, proper interactive forums, blogs and lots of other functions we could only hope for in the past.

And we got a new name too: BBCUkrainian.com is called BBC Мій світ (My World)

It should reflect not only its new lease of life, not necessarily dependant on radio, but also our drive to reach new audience.

We would like BBC Mій Світ to be on every desktop of our already devoted users; however we also explore how to reach to a younger audience in Ukraine as well.

Until now, our website was popular mostly among Ukrainians working abroad who did not have necessarily access to the mass media at home. We were their link to Ukraine.

What we need now is to become a link for Ukrainians to the global news world.

We can offer our content on different platforms, including mobile, at the time when mobile phone penetration in Ukraine is increasing and broadband is growing fast as well.

Now we have a website with functionality that for the first time allows reversed syndication with partners in Ukraine. While BBC World Service is generally renowned for providing global perspective of international affairs, the reversed syndication page would offer our users an option to view how local news is covering the same stories.

Effectively, BBCUkrainian.com (Мій Світ) provides aggregation of useful resources in addition to our original content. In return our content will be syndicated via most popular Ukrainian portals and websites.

Ultimately, we would like to see our new logo BBC My World on every desktop of open minded, cosmopolitan users hungry to understand the outside world and integrate it into their own.

Olexander Hryb is Multimedia Producer, BBC Ukrainian.


]]> Dave Lee Dave Lee https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2009/11/a_fresh_news_website_for_ukrai.html https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/overtoyou/2009/11/a_fresh_news_website_for_ukrai.html About Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:59:54 +0000