Monday, August 31, 2009

Danmarks Radio to reintroduce English news on website

It has been announced that international visitors to Copengagen and residents are to get more accessible news services from public service broadcaster DR and the City Council. DR previously provided foreign language news on its website, as well as the daily News in English broadcast. Low audience ratings forced the radio broadcast off the air in 2001, while budget cuts led to the end of the on-line service in 2006.
Prompted by parliament, the broadcaster will now present the news in the six most common foreign languages in Denmark. Initially, it will offer a selection of DR stories translated daily into English, Bosnian, Turkish, Arabic, Urdu and Somali for international readers on the DR website www.dr.dk/ and text television service.
DR Online editor Nicolai Porsbo said the new service also allowed the broadcaster to fulfill its public service obligation. “DR is for the whole population and we will reach a lot of people who are interested in following the news here, but who often experience a language barrier,” Porsbo told Politiken newspaper.
(Source: Copenhagen Post/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)