BBC World Service is planning to get into partnership with online companies and private FM operators in India. According to Mr Nigel Chapman, deputy director, BBC World Service: ``We are in talks with top online companies in India to set up BBC Hindi and Urdu online services.'' BBC has already set up its Chinese, Russian, Spanish and Arabic portal, besides one in English.The Hindi and Urdu online services, which will cater to audiences in India and Pakistan, will be completely operational by the summer of 2001, said Mr Nigel. BBC plans to invest one million pounds on these online services. The proposed Websites will have audio and video streaming along with interactive elements. Being funded by the Foreign Office, UK, the Websites will neither be subscription-based nor ad-based. To set up the Hindi and Urdu online services, BBC World is also looking to recruit Indian staff trained in the online business, apart from tying up with other Websites in India. Said Mr Chapman: ``We are thinking of swapping staff with our Indian partners.
Some of the BBC staff can come to India, and the Indian staff can go to the UK for training.''
BBC World is also looking for opportunities in the FM Radio sector. Said Mr Chapman: ``We are talking to some of the top players in the FM sector to provide content to them.'' But he said whether it's the online business or FM, BBC is focussed on partnering Indian companies with strong journalistic credibility such as the Bennett Coleman Group and the Living Media Group.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.