BBC Bengali audience increases: The BBC's weekly audience in Bangladesh has increased by 2.6 million in the past year, giving BBC Bengali 13 million, according to a survey conducted by an independent market research agency in Bangladesh. The growth is mostly driven by the increase in rural listening, and represents a strong recovery from the audience drop in 2003 following the Iraq war. This latest survey reveals that the vast majority of those who have ever listened to the BBC more than 80 per cent - consider it to be trustworthy. Sabir Mustafa, Acting Executive Editor of Asia and Pacific Region, BBC World Service, said: "I am delighted that the hard work and expertise of our programme makers has paid off. "There is a greater emphasis on making livelier, more interactive programmes, while maintaining the BBC's high editorial standards. "We dedicated ourselves to winning our listeners back, and it's great to see this result." Alan Booth, Controller of BBC World Service Marketing Communications and Audiences, added: "The BBC is by far the strongest international media brand in Bangladesh. It is a major market for us. "What we have learnt since 2003 is how quickly we can be affected by global events. What is reassuring is how rapidly we have recovered ground and won back our listeners. "These results are even more impressive against the backdrop of the general decline in radio audiences across urban areas in Bangladesh, as more people turn to TV." Performance of BBC Dhaka FM has also improved in the past year, with over half of the BBC's 700,000 strong audience in Dhaka City being delivered by FM, up from 31 per cent in 2003. The research was commissioned by MORI and was conducted between December 2004 and January 2005 by an independent research agency in Bangladesh. 2,010 interviews were conducted, using random probability sampling among the general public aged 15 and over. (Source: BBC Press Release, 20 April, 2005)
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