ITV

Tag: Achala Sharma

  • BBC World Service campaign in India connects with 73,000 people

    BBC World Service campaign in India connects with 73,000 people

    MUMBAI: BBC World Service has announced that BBC Hindi’s six-week Your World, Your Voice campaign in northern India, during November to December last year, connected with over 73,000 people.

    Your World, Your Voice toured 14 towns across the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, debating issues of importance to the local residents – from jobs, education, pollution and crime to water supply, land reform and naxalism.

    At least 45,000 people engaged with the BBC via audience-participation events including debates, quizzes and street theatre. The BBC also reached around 28,000 people with promotional activities in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal.

    The entire agenda for Your World, Your Voice was shaped up by a special BBC-commissioned research project which identified the main concerns of listeners in northern India. This was supplemented with questionnaires on the ground distributed during the events.

    BBC Hindi head Achala Sharma said, “Wherever we went, we were humbled by the level of engagement people showed us. While thousands came to each debate, nearly 11,000 local residents had their say via the questionnaires and around 13,500 people subscribed to our newsletter, BBC Hindi Samvad.

    “BBC Hindi is the most popular international broadcaster among our core audiences in India’s heartland, but the feedback Your World, Your Voice received shows we are much more than that. Those who came to meet with us appreciated the BBC’s engagement with the issues that affect their everyday lives.

    “They said that they felt ‘the BBC is not only concerned with news, it is also concerned about the people, that the BBC belongs to the people…’ or, as someone put it, ‘commoners became VIPs at the BBC events’. This is what BBC Hindi means to millions of our listeners – and we will keep it front of mind as we plan our future programming.”

    Through the questionnaires, the local residents expressed demand for increased air-time of BBC Hindi’s Hum Se Poochiye (Ask Us) and Career Kya Karoon (Career Advice). They also want more content on health, science and arts as well as entertainment.

    BBC Hindi programmes are produced from studios in London and New Delhi and are set in a rolling format, with news, current affairs and features. The interactive morning and evening programmes, Aaj Ke Din and Aaj Kal, bring the BBC Hindi listeners news, analysis and interviews on a range of issues, from current affairs and careers to showbiz and sports.

    BBC Hindi is available on short wave and medium wave radio and via cable television. Hindi-speakers across the world can access BBC Hindi programmes in text and in audio at the site bbchindi.com.

  • BBC World Service to kick off roadshow in Northern India from Thursday

    BBC World Service to kick off roadshow in Northern India from Thursday

    MUMBAI: BBC World Service has announced that its radio service BBC Hindi hopes to meet more than 20,000 listeners in a series of roadshow events across three states in Northern India. From tomorrow 16 November to Monday 25 December, Your world, your voice is taking BBC Hindi teams to 14 towns across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkand, engaging audiences in lively debates broadcast live on the BBC, together with other activities, including street theatre and website demonstrations.

    The debates have been inspired by local residents who took part in specially-commissioned research. Conducted by the Delhi-based rural research agency, Prastut Consulting, the research is based on interviews with decision-makers and residents at each of the roadshow locations and gives the BBC invaluable insights into what really matters to its audiences in India’s heartland.

    BBC Hindi head Achala Sharma says, “We always keep our hand on the pulse of India: what concerns them, what their expectations are, what they want to change in their lives. The special research we commissioned this year is a real treasure trove, giving us first-hand information which will form the basis of our roadshow debates as well as our programming in general.

    “All those interviewed for this research said that they see the BBC as being able to influence change. That’s why we are looking forward to meeting our audiences in this roadshow.”

    Connecting with local culture, the BBC uses traditional Kalamkari artwork throughout the Your world, your voice roadshow. Street theatre will open each event with a dramatised demonstration of the values and benefits of listening to the BBC. There will also be demonstrations of the bbchindi.com website. Simultaneously, BBC World Service has organised purely promotional activity in 34 towns of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Rajasthan using the campaign imagery and messages.

    BBC Hindi programmes are produced from studios in London and New Delhi and are set in a rolling format, with news, current affairs and features. The interactive morning and evening programmesAaj Ke Din and Aaj Kal, bring the BBC Hindi listeners news, analysis and interviews on issues, from current affairs and careers to showbiz and sports.

    BBC Hindi is available on short wave and medium wave radio and via cable television.

  • BBC announces winners of playwriting contest

    BBC announces winners of playwriting contest

    MUMBAI: BBC Hindi has announced Amar Kumar Singh from Hazaribagh of Jharkhand and Shripal Nehra from Sikar of , Rajasthan, as the winners of its playwriting competition, held at the beginning of this year.

    The winners have been awarded a certificate each from BBC Hindi, along with a shortwave radio and Rs.15,000 as prize money.
    Amar Kumar Singh and Shripal Nehra’s scripts were chosen from over 1200 entries received for the contest. The winning entries will now be produced as radio plays, inviting local talent to lend their voice to bring alive the scripts. These will be broadcast on the BBC Hindi service in December.

    BBC Hindi head Achala Sharma says, “BBC Hindi aims to provide a platform for dialogue for its audiences, and the drama contest brings to the fore issues that are close to our audiences’ hearts. The response to the contest was overwhelming with listeners from all walks of life sending in entries, and it was a tough choice. The winning scripts focus on themes such as corruption and the plight of the elderly in the face of disintegrating traditional family values. I am sure these will strike a chord with all our listeners.”

    The winners were facilitated at a presentation ceremony held at the Delhi office of the BBC, where they have attended a four-day workshop on radio playwriting with Achala Sharma.

    “I congratulate both the winners and hope that their association with BBC Hindi has been a meaningful one,” Achala added.