LONDON The BBC has promised that its journalism will remain impartial after unveiling a £25 million Arabic television news service funded by the Government.

Designed to compete against al-Jazeera and other satellite channels, BBC Arabic Television is seen as a major intervention in the battle to win hearts and minds in the region. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office agreed to fund the first UK state-backed international television channel after the BBC said it was failing to reach a potential audience of 100 million viewers. Launched next Monday, the Arabic-language service will also operate as a BBC website and be available on mobile phones and hand-held computers. Ultimately, the BBC hopes the service will be broadcast in the US and Europe.

Critics say the BBC has little chance of supplanting the established al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya channels and would have to avoid offending Arab Governments to survive. Ten World Service radio stations, mainly in Eastern Europe, have been axed to fund the channel.

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