News Broadcasting
BBC World Service launches Dubai FM
LONDON: BBC World Service has started broadcasting on FM in Dubai, the latest in a network of FM operations in the Gulf co-operation council states. The move will also bring BBC Arabic to listeners in the Middle East in addition to providing high quality sound.
The beeb is now broadcasting on 87.9 MHz FM in the Greater Dubai area, reaching listeners in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm al Qaiwain. The new service follows the launch last month of BBC Arabic’s FM transmission to listeners in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi on 90.3 MHz.
An official release informs that BBC Arabic is now available to listeners in the Gulf region in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, as well as in the United Arab Emirates. It can also be heard on FM Amman, northern Jordan and neighbouring areas, as well as in Khartoum and Wad Madani in Sudan.
The two new FMs in the UAE are the result of an agreement between the BBC and Emirates Media Incorporated (EMI), which organises broadcasting on a federal basis across the UAE as well as broadcasting the international Abu Dhabi Television channel.
BBC Arabic broadcasts news and current affairs programmes to the region as well as several interactive discussion programmes which enable listeners and users of bbcarabic.com to take part in the discussions. BBC Arabic also broadcasts throughout the Arab world on shortwave and medium wave frequencies. Around the world BBC World Service is present on FM in 140 capital cities.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
