MUMBAI. BBC World Service and India?s ETV network have announced the launch of the BBC Hindi TV programme, Global India, on five channels of ETV.

From 2 November, the BBC?s new TV programme in Hindi will air weekly on prime time on ETV Bihar / Jharkhand, ETV Uttar Pradesh / Uttrakhand, ETV Rajasthan, ETV Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh and ETV Urdu.

It may be recalled that earlier this year TV18 Group had inked a deal to acquire stake in ETV channels (including these ETV news channels).

With BBC Hindi?s Rupa Jha as its lead presenter, Global India is a weekly 30-minute magazine-style show which brings alive the best of the BBC journalism from across the world, focusing on news and developments that resonate with the Indian audience. Ranging from hard news to human-interest stories, culture and technology, the show aims to connect with millions of Hindi-speaking audiences through the expansive reach of ETV channels.

Jha said, ?I am thrilled to front our new TV programme. Showcasing the best of BBC journalism, Global India will deliver original BBC stories as they are lived by our journalists across the world. After years of being part of the BBC Hindi radio and online team, I am really looking forward to the excitement of connecting with our audiences on TV.?

Commenting on BBC Hindi?s move to TV broadcasting, BBC World Service Head of Journalism, Nikki Clarke said, ?This is a great development for the BBC in India, showing our commitment to our Hindi-speaking audiences. With this expansion on television, BBC Hindi builds on the strength of the BBC as a news brand in India. The editorial thrust of Global India reflects the strong interest in stories from around the world that are important for India and are brought alive by the BBC?s world-renowned news gathering operation.??

BBC World Service head of business development Asia Pacific Indu Shekhar Sinha said, ?There have been huge changes in the way Hindi-speaking audiences consume our content, and as we work to adjust our distribution footprint to better serve them, the launch of Global India signals the fact that BBC Hindi is expanding in India?s media market. We are excited to be partnering with the ETV network to bring this dynamic new programme to millions of viewers.?

Global India will be broadcast every Friday on five channels of the ETV network at 8 pm on ETV Bihar / Jharkhand and ETV Uttar Pradesh / Uttrakhand; and at 6 pm on ETV Rajasthan, ETV Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh and ETV Urdu. It will be repeated on Saturdays at 9.30 pm on all channels except ETV Urdu (at 8.30 pm). It will be repeated on Sundays at 11.30 am in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar at 9.30 am in Rajasthan and at 1 pm on ETV Urdu.