BBC World Service English is launching a new visualized podcast titled Asia Specific, designed to deliver analysis and expertise on stories from across the Asia-Pacific region. Premiered on November 19th, the program aims to provide Asian perspectives on major global news stories, offering original journalism and insights into the political, social, and economic trends shaping the region.
The podcast airs twice weekly and is presented by Mariko Oi from the BBC News Singapore bureau. Oi joines by correspondents and reporters from the BBC’s newsgathering and language service teams, with regular guests including South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and China correspondent Laura Bicker.
The production team is led by Bill Birtles, who joins the BBC following a decade of reporting in the region for ABC as China correspondent and Indonesia bureau chief. The team also includes Derek Cai and Rachel Lee, a seasoned reporter and producer from the BBC’s Korean Service.
Mariko Oi expressed her enthusiasm for the project, highlighting the diversity of the region. ‘I have always been passionate about telling Asian stories to our global audiences and have covered some of the biggest stories in the region… Asia is incredibly vast and diverse but there are themes and stories that bind us together’, said. She emphasized that the team works in a ‘truly multicultural newsroom in Singapore’, which provides confidence in their ability to cover stories important to audiences in Asia and globally.
Jon Zilkha, Controller of BBC World Service English, described the podcast as an ‘important addition to the BBC’s global storytelling’. He noted that the program will draw upon expertise from across the BBC’s news teams to bring ‘trusted, in-depth reporting directly to our audiences’ in the Asia-Pacific region.Episodes of Asia Specific launchs first on YouTube. Followined the video debut, episodes is available on BBC Sounds in the UK, and globally via the BBC website, the BBC app, and other major podcast platforms.
