PRESS RELEASE
12 May 2008
BBC devotes a day to the Amazon
The BBC mounts its most in-depth live coverage yet of the Amazon rain forest with The Amazon Paradox special day of programming on Thursday 15 May. Throughout the day, BBC World Service journalists will deliver reports for radio and online at bbcworldservice.com/amazon
The Amazon Paradox explores the local and global economic and environmental cycles resulting in major deforestation of the region. Live reports from across the Amazon will dominate the BBC's news output throughout the day.
Americo Martins, BBC World Service Americas Executive Editor, said: "The Amazon Paradox will take a fresh look at an important issue. The day will give audiences an opportunity to hear the voices of those blamed for the deforestation, meet those policing and governing this vast area and to get to the core of how all of this is affecting the lives of the local communities and millions of people across the world."
The BBC will tell the stories of those involved in the legal and illegal destruction of the rainforest. While journalists Fergus Nicoll, Gary Duffy and Carolina Glycerio will bring live reports and in-depth analysis from three different locations in Brazil, journalists from several BBC language services will also travel to Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Suriname. They will explore the challenges faced by authorities trying to save and exploit the forest with the very communities sometimes blamed for the major deforestation - the "Amazon Paradox". A BBC boat touring the Amazon river will visit Manaus, the biggest city in the Amazon region, and Santarem which suffers major illegal logging.
Reports will be delivered to the BBC's international audiences in English, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese while the remaining 22 language services will also cover the events. The BBC's interactive radio and online programme World Have Your Say will link communities living in the Amazon basin with listeners across the world.
BBC Brasil will also team up with their Brazilian online partner ENN to bring news, stories, images and videos from the heart of the Amazon. Their reports will feature on bbcbrasil.com
The dedicated website, bbcworldservice.com/amazon
The Amazon Paradox theme will also feature in the following BBC programming:
* Chilean author Isabel Allende will be interviewed in the book programme, The Word * The documentary Living with Chico Mendez will mark the 20th anniversary of the assassination of the green activist * Business Daily will catch up with Swedish-born Chairman, Johan Eliasch, who spent around US$16 million on land in the heart of the Amazon rainforest for conservation.
Further information is available at bbcworldservice.com/amazon
Ends
For more information contact:
Christine George, Assistant International Publicist, BBC World Service +44(0)207557 1142; christine.george@bbc.co.uk
Note to Editors:
The Amazon Paradox reports can be heard in news and current affairs programmes on Thursday 15 May on The World Today at 05.00, 06.00 and 07.00 GMT; World Update at 09.00 GMT; World Briefing at 10.00; 14.00 and 15.00 GMT and Newshour at 12.00 an 13.00 GMT. Fergus Nicoll will also host a live Amazon special at 16.00 GMT and will round up the day's programming in One Planet at 18.30 GMT.
BBC World Service is an international multimedia broadcaster delivering programmes and services in 33 languages. It uses multiple platforms to reach 183 million listeners globally, including SW, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has around 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones and other wireless handheld devices. Its international online sites include audio and video content and offer opportunities to interact directly with world events. They receive around 700 million page impressions monthly, attracting around 40 million unique users per month. For more information, visit bbcworldservice.com