BBC English news service launched in Bahrain

Manama: Seeking to broaden its audience in Bahrain, the BBC has launched its second FM relay in Bahrain to broadcast English-language programmes.

The new 24-hour service complements the established BBC Arabic broadcasts in Manama.

"The BBC is delighted that listeners in Bahrain will now hear our English-language programmes on 101 FM. Bahrain is an international centre, and this positive step will please our many friends across the country," Philip Harding, the Director of BBC World Service English Network and News, said after the launching ceremony attended by Bahrain's Information Minister Mohammad Abdul Gaffar.

"We are proud of our close cooperation with the BBC which we consider a remarkable institution and an outstanding provider of media services. We are confident that this cooperation will enrich the Bahraini media scene with the BBC's expertise and its famed standards for excellence," Abdul Gaffar said.

Bahrain has been re-broadcasting programmes of Radio Monte Carlo and the BBC in Arabic, but the BBC 101 FM is expected to have a fertile ground in Bahrain where large English-speaking communities have settled.

"We are sincerely pleased to reach out to the many people who are keen on listening to our programmes as we consolidate our reputation as the most trusted source of news in the world," Harding, who is also the BBC editorial policy controller, told Gulf News.