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Press Releases
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ plans day of action for Alan Johnston
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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is planning a day of action tomorrow (Thursday 12 April) to highlight the plight of Alan Johnston, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Gaza correspondent, who was abducted on 12 March 2007.
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Mark Thompson, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Director-General, will cut short his holiday to travel to the Middle East to appeal for Alan's release.
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The day of action will also see poster sites unveiled in London and Scotland and, for the first time, the four major international news broadcasters will come together to produce a special programme.
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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s two TV news channels - ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News 24 - together with Al Jazeera English and Sky News will simulcast the programme, and there will also be contributions from CNN.
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Alan is the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s highly experienced and respected correspondent and one of only a few western journalists who have been permanently based in Gaza. He has spent three years living and working in the area.
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It has now been a month since his disappearance in Gaza and his family and colleagues at the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ are increasingly concerned for his well being.
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As part of the day's activity, for the first time, a simulcast programme will go on air from 2.30 to 3pm anchored by Jeremy Bowen, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Middle East Editor, from Ramallah.
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It will incorporate packages from the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, Al-Jazeera, CNN, and Sky. It will also have live reports from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, Al-Jazeera and Sky anchors and correspondents in Ramallah, Gaza and London.
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The programme will look back at events in the month since Alan's disappearance and will include background packages on day-to-day life in Gaza as well as the increasing threats facing journalists working in danger zones around the world.
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Richard Porter, Head of News, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World, said: "We wanted to produce a programme which had impact in the Middle East and around the globe and we are extremely grateful for all the cooperation shown by our fellow broadcasters.
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"We don't think this has ever happened before - but all the broadcasters involved share a common aim to highlight Alan's case and to remind viewers of the dangers faced by their news teams more frequently than ever."
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Additionally, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has secured large poster sites featuring calls for Alan's release. The posters will be sited at three central London locations (Westminster Bridge Road; Golden Square, Lambeth Palace Road and Westminster Bridge Roundabout) and in George Square, Glasgow and Haymarket, Edinburgh.
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News 24 will carry a message on its news ticker throughout the day calling for Alan's release.
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KR/ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News Publicity
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