The BBC Arabic service is launching the corporation's first television programme driven entirely by social media.
The show, called 710 Greenwich, will be the first for the global broadcaster to take its ideas from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs.
"The actual production of the show is going to be as open as Wikipedia," he said, referring to the online encyclopaedia created by its users. "This is the first wiki-driven television show." The show will be broadcast on Thursdays for 50 minutes on BBC Arabic TV from the first week of next month. Although the BBC uses social media to support many of its products, 710 Greenwich will be the first programme in which social media takes the lead, Mr el Sokkari said.
In fact, he has been using social media to help design the show, holding forums on Facebook to talk about the ideal format or putting calls out on Twitter when he is in a new city, offering to host face-to-face focus groups to size up the show's pilot. The pilot, which is available on YouTube, gives a flavour of what future episodes will hold. It features an interview by Mr el Sokkari with Abdul al Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of the London-based newspaper, Al Quds Al Arabi, using questions that had been shaped by an online audience on Facebook, Twitter and the show's blog and the BBC Arabic website.
In future episodes, the audience will act as researchers and de facto producers of the show, forming conversations around upcoming guests and posting videos and news articles that make a case for a certain line of questioning. "Part of the idea is to train people, to get them used to the idea of basing their argument on evidence and fact," Mr el Sokkari said. "So when they ask a question, it should be supported by something they have researched, which could be a good thing for young journalists learning the trade."
He expects this process to continue even after the interview has aired.
"The programme concept extends before and after because people will debate the episode afterward," he said. "Somebody may put a clip of the interview and then somebody may put a newspaper clipping of what he said the next day when he denied it." BBC Arabic TV was launched in March 2008 and is free to everyone in the Middle East or North Africa with a cable or satellite connection. It is run by the BBC World Service.
BBC Arabic began with a partial broadcast day that was extended to a full day in January of last year, and from the beginning has aggressively moved to incorporate audience interaction. When the BBC sparked protests in January last year after it refused to broadcast an appeal for Gaza by the UK-based Disasters Emergency Committee, BBC Arabic used its multimedia programme Point for Debate to host a live debate with viewers.
Now it has begun to use social media as its primary method of promoting new programming, too. Mr el Sokkari said they were not doing traditional news releases, but rather using Twitter and Facebook to get the word out about the show.
"It's spreading virally," he said.
khagey@thenational.ae
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
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'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'
Rating: 1 out of 4
Running time: 81 minutes
Director: David Blue Garcia
Starring: Sarah Yarkin, Elsie Fisher, Mark Burnham
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
