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26.02.02
BBC
wins 2001 George Polk Journalism Award for news coverage
BBC
World and BBC World Service have won one of this years George
Polk Awards for excellence in journalism. The awards, announced
in New York, saw the BBCs 24-hour international news and information
television channel and its radio counterpart share the prize.
BBC
World television and BBC World Service radio received the prestigious
joint Television and Radio Reporting Award for their "authoritative,
wide-ranging accounts of the attacks on America and the war in Afghanistan."
The
September 11 attack on America and its aftermath was the subject
matter covered by four of the 13 winners of the George Polk Awards
for the year 2001, announced on Wednesday 20 February by Long Island
University.
The
awards ceremony takes place at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York on
Thursday 11 April.
Notes
to Editors
·
BBC World and BBC World Service provided continuous coverage of
unfolding events in America for days after the crisis first broke
on September 11th 2001. The channels abandoned their regular programming
schedules and provided 24-hour rolling news coverage of the crisis.
· Requests for permission to relay BBC Worlds news
were received from broadcasters around the world, including from
Japan, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Australia. It is estimated
that from the time the news broke, an additional 300 million viewers
had access to the channels continuous news output, on top
of the channels ordinary distribution of 178 million households
globally (at that time). In the States, BBC America cut to BBC World
and ran with its rolling news. Through WLIW21, the channel was made
available to over 134 public television stations across America
on a continuous basis - covering all major US cities and conurbations.
· In America, the BBC World Service is broadcast on many
FM public radio stations across the USA. It has re-broadcasting
agreements with 283 USA radio stations. Since September 11th, BBC
World Service coverage has been extended across America by securing
new partnerships with notable stations, in California, North Carolina,
Texas, and New York. It has also expanded coverage in Montana, Wyoming,
North Dakota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
· Over 270 million Americans are now being offered our 24
hour service in English by XM digital radio, and Spanish and English
via Sirius digital radio.
· The BBC World Services site at www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice
was recently judged the best radio website in the world at the prestigious
Webby Awards. High quality audio is available, both on demand and
live, of two offerings in English - news, current affairs and analysis
24 hours a day plus the 24-hour mixed schedule is available.
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