[A2k] UNESCO and BBC join forces to distribute science programmes in developing nations

[Teresa Hackett (eIFL)]

UNESCO and the BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the British
Broadcasting Corporation, agree to work together to provide high-quality
television programmes on science and technology to developing nations in
Africa and Asia.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding, to be signed by the BBC and UNESCO
on 22 September, the Organization acquires the rights for one year to 46
titles in the award-winning BBC Horizon series for distribution in 41
African and 9 Asian countries (1).

Each of the 50-minute programmes will be distributed by UNESCO to public
service broadcasters free of charge. The broadcasters will be entitled
to air each film up to six times on national television. Basic science,
including life sciences are among the subjects covered by the
programmes, alongside ecology and earth sciences - including disaster
mitigation and topics such as Einstein=92s theory of relativity; tsunamis,
and gene therapy.

The British government is providing financial support to the project,
notably to help defray the cost of duplicating and distributing the
programmes. Cooperation between UNESCO and the BBC is expected to be
extended beyond the sciences, to the fields of education, culture and
communication through the licensing of BBC Worldwide content.

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(1) In Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central
African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo,
Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia.

In Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka