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24.04.03
BBC PRIME helps Hungarians learn English
Viewers of BBC PRIME in Hungary will, for the first time, be able
to view the channel in English with Hungarian subtitles. The initiative
is supported by Hungary's Ministry of Education in a bid to underline
the importance of television as a tool for foreign language learning.
As
part of the launch, one of channel's cable network partners, Antenna
Micro, is donating 1000 set top boxes to schools around Budapest.
Both BBC PRIME and the Ministry of Education are actively encouraging
English teachers to use the programming to support their coursework.
Announcing
the new service at an event in Hungary today, BBC Worldwide Director
of Channels, Wayne Dunsford said, "We could not have chosen
a better moment to begin subtitling as the Hungarian population
has just voted to join the European Union. Our new service underlines
our commitment to tailoring BBC PRIME to each host market and builds
on the BBC's international reputation for providing quality English
language programming."
Hungary's
Minister of Education, Dr. Bálint Magyar, added, "The
World-Languages Program announced by the ministry, targets mainly
the young people and aims to achieve significant improvement in
the foreign language skills of Hungarians. Today only 19.2 percent
of Hungarian adults speak a second language. 2003-2004 is a year
of language learning in Hungary and we will be dedicating more time
and opportunities for students to acquire practicable language skills."
-ends-
Notes
for Editors: Launched in 1995, BBC PRIME is the BBC's international
entertainment channel broadcast to Europe, Africa and the Middle
East, via cable and satellite to over 11 million subscribers in
over 100 countries and territories. BBC PRIME is also among the
most popular Pan-European channels, relative to its distribution.
The EMS 2002 survey showed that, in terms of weekly viewership relative
to 24-hour home distribution, BBC PRIME ranks fourth among all Pan-European
channels. With over 2200 hours of new programming each year, including
Parkinson, Top of the Pops, EastEnders, The Weakest Link and BBC
LEARNING, the BBC's unique overnight educational service, BBC PRIME
shows the best of the award-winning programmes from the BBC - the
world's leading programme maker. In addition to Hungarian, BBC PRIME
also transmits many of its programmes with subtitles in Hebrew,
Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech and Polish, (with other local
languages in development).
For
more information about BBC PRIME's Great British Entertainment,
go to www.bbcprime.com
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