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³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service announces the launch of new ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian Channel on YouTube, the world's leading online video community.

The new channel's launch further expands the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s outreach to Persian-speaking audiences on a range of platforms, adding to the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s current radio, television and online offerings to Persian-speakers.

The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian Channel on YouTube – youtube.com/bbcpersian – offers video material covering political, social, economic, scientific and cultural issues, with reports from the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s unparalleled global network of correspondents, including bbcpersian.com reporters covering events and issues of special interest to the Persian-speaking audience. Video clips illustrating major world events will also be available.

The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian Channel on YouTube will carry clips and excerpts from ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian TV's wide range of original programmes including the popular weekly politics, youth and interactive programmes, as well as music, arts and culture, science and technology and sports.

Head of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian, Andres Ilves, says: "This is an exciting addition to our Persian language services, and will enable even more Persian-speaking news seekers to access the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s online output in their own language."

Editor of bbcpersian.com, Jamshid Barzegar, adds: "The online environment is particularly important to Persian speakers, who represent one of the most active communities on the web. With this in mind, any addition to our services online is very valuable. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is one of very few Persian-language broadcasters producing high-quality video content specifically for the web, and our channel on YouTube is a logical and important extra strand to our offering."

The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Persian Channel is part of a portfolio of video news channels being developed by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service as it extends its relationship with YouTube, in what is the first multi-language partnership with a major international news broadcaster.

A ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Russian Channel launched in December 2008, followed by ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Mundo (Spanish) in February 2009.

Users will soon have access to high-quality, independent and impartial news clips produced by the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Arabic, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Brasil and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Urdu teams.

Patrick Walker, YouTube's Director of Video Partnerships for Europe, Middle East and Africa, comments: "YouTube is a truly global platform that connects millions of people from all over the world, many of whom have a strong interest in international news.

"By bringing top quality news content to the YouTube community in many languages, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is taking an innovative step to engage with this large and diverse audience."

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service Press Office