The BBC launches a new, interactive news program

Ros Atkins, host of Outside Source (Photo: BBC Media Centre)

See full press release below–many thanks to Richard Cuff for the tip:

The BBC has today announced development of a brand new news programme, Outside Source, hosted by Ros Atkins, to be broadcast across its international platforms – BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC.com.

This innovative new show will link the BBC’s global network of journalists with a worldwide audience using the latest in broadcast technology.

Broadcasting live from the BBC’s new state-of-the-art newsroom in the redeveloped Broadcasting House, London, the programme is launching initially on World Service Radio. It is then planned to develop the format to provide audiences with a fully integrated web, radio and TV experience.

Outside Source aims to open up the news process, enabling people to discover the latest on the stories that matter to them. An hour-long World Service Radio show is the first element of the pan-Global News format to be brought to air. Outside Source will be broadcast weekdays between 11am and 12pm GMT.

The programme will then be developed to include an online element, encouraging audiences to share their knowledge and experience of that day’s stories, no matter where they are in the world, via social media.

The online roll-out will be followed by the TV offering, due early in 2014 – a half-hour programme on BBC World News, the BBC’s international 24-hour television news channel – broadcast in the early evening GMT.

Using the latest technology means, Ros won’t be tied to a studio for the live broadcasts. He’ll be moving around Broadcasting House so listeners are getting the latest information on stories from our reporters, whether they are in one of the 27 language services or part of the BBC’s team of correspondents. Plus there will be ample opportunity for the audience to comment and add insight about stories happening where they are.

Sharing the ethos behind Outside Source, Editor Mark Sandell comments: “Outside Source is an exercise in open journalism. It aims to open up the news process and involve the audience in understanding the news. It will be technologically advanced and ambitious but also transparent and accessible. We want it to be ‘in the moment’ as we and the audience are discovering the news.”

Introducing the new programme, Ros Atkins says: “We are all incredibly excited about the new show. Such an innovative programme is only possible because of our new facilities here at Broadcasting House. While our starting point will be the expertise we have in the building, such as our language services and our bureaux teams, we’ll also be using social media and story communities to complement what we are discovering and to find out what our audience is making of the news. Outside Source will show we really are the world’s newsroom.”

Outside Source will launch first on BBC World Service on Monday 28 October at 11am GMT weekday mornings.