BBC Secures News Exchange Deal With Al-Jazeera

The BBC is readying itself for possible military action against Iraq by securing a newsgathering exchange agreement with Qatar-based TV news channel al-Jazeera.

The reciprocal deal will give both news organisations access to materials and co-operation on the ground with regard to sharing facilities, including al-Jazeera’s uplink in Kabul.

Madhav Chinnappa, deputy head of rights at BBC News, commented: “This is a bilateral deal which has formalised arrangements between the BBC and al-Jazeera. We have a number of similar agreements around the world including ABC in the US and NHK in Japan.”

Al-Jazeera, which has been dubbed the CNN of the Arab world, reached the height of its influence during the US-led military effort against Afghanistan last year. It was also the first network to broadcast a videotaped statement by Osama bin Laden.

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk

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