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BBC Broadcasts Worldwide from Spokane

Alan Kasujja from the BBC
SPR

A team from BBC News broadcast their program Newsday live from Spokane on Thursday, July 10, showcasing a family that had been relocated here from Rwanda. Spokane Public Radio carried the international broadcast live on KSFC 91.1 FM from 7-10 p.m.

The broadcast features a series of stories about one of Spokane's newest immigrant families on their journey from a Rwandan refugee camp to their new life in America. Newsday co-anchor Alan Kasujja, a journalist from Uganda, met the family in the camp where they lived with no electricity or water.

"Relocating to the heart of the west is quite an incredible journey," said producer and journalist Ben Allen. "We thought it would be fantastic to zoom on one family and follow that journey. We started at a camp in rural Rwanda, set on a beautiful hill but really poor, appalling conditions."

The broadcast included interviews with Mark Kadel, Director of World Relief Spokane. Kadel says the agency helps more than 600 immigrants arrive in Spokane every year. Also interviewed was  Kome Zibarega, a Burundi refugee who was also relocated to Spokane and today works with other American immigrants. 

The BBC had an opportunity to capture additional tutoring provided by Gonzaga University. The family members are part of the school’s Language Camp with other individuals of various ages and nationalities. The Garland Alliance Church also has featured heavily in the resettling process, with members tutoring the family members in English, and assisting in the errands that are commonplace to Americans.

Kasujja, who became a Ugandan household name hosting that country's version of the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," has spent the past several days in Spokane preparing these reports. He co-anchors the entire three-hour program remotely while being connected via satellite and internet to the rest of the show's producers in London.

The program was streamed online via KSFCand the BBC World Service's site. Due to the program's World Cup coverage, which is right-restricted, the entire program has n0t been available on demand. However, the main audio story is available online, as are videos taken of some of the interviews.

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