BBC Working with Tunisian National TV

A BBC WST project funded by the FCO’s Arab Partnership Programme Fund

A free and effective media is an essential part of a healthy and vibrant democracy.  It is for this reason that The UK through its Arab Partnership Initiative has identified the media as a key area for cooperation with Tunisia.

Tunisian media professionals and citizens have expressed their strong interest in drawing on the experience of the BBC has a public service broadcaster (PSB) as part of the transformation of Tunisian Television.  The UK has sought to react quickly to this interest and with a long tradition of a free and vibrant media sector is well placed to provide support. This project “Transforming National Tunisian Television into a Public Service Broadcaster” is being implemented by the BBC World Service Trust (BBC-WST) and aims to support the process of transforming Tunisian Television into a genuine Public Service Broadcaster drawing on BBC-WST’s long expertise in supporting the transition of former state broadcasters to public service broadcasters. The project aims to support Tunisian Television in upgrading existing skills and in introducing new methods of working.

Key elements of the project will be:

• Support to establishing the statutory and editorial frameworks, as well as the financial and human resources structures, without which Tunisian Television will be unable to function as a Public Service Broadcaster.
• Raise awareness and create a debate around ‘Ethics of New Media’ in Tunisia. The BBC, will provide help in shaping a new TV format which includes bloggers and New Media.
• Second an experienced BBC Arabic producer to provide the support asked for by Tunisian Television prior to the elections.

This project is being implemented in coordination with other UK media organisation such as (Article 19 and Thomson Foundation who are also working with the Arab Partnership Fund). The activity is conducted in partnerships with other national major media stakeholders and is implemented in close coordination with the National Forum for the Reform of the Information and Communication.

For more information about UK support for Tunisia see “The Arab Partnership Initiative in Tunisia”.

References http://ukintunisia.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/working-with-tunisia/bbc