Broadcaster launches Ethiopian and Eritrean radio services

pulse

January 29, 2018 12:21 PM

It will also offer beginner, intermediate and advanced English language lessons once a week to speakers of the three regional languages.

The BBC on Monday launched new daily radio services producing news, current affairs, features and English language training for Ethiopians and Eritreans.

The BBC World Service programmes will be broadcast from Monday to Friday in the Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya languages and will be aired on shortwave radio and streamed on Facebook.

"There will be a strong focus on culture, health and original journalism from the region," the British broadcaster said.

The BBC last year launched an online portal entirely in Nigerian Pidgin, which takes inspiration from Portuguese, English, as well as Jamaican patois.

It also launched a Korean service that is said could be available to listeners in North Korea if the signal is not blocked.

The BBC World Service, which is funded by Britain's television licence fee, is the world's largest international broadcaster, reaching a global audience of 269 million weekly, on radio, television and online.

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