United States Agency for Global Media

VOA and Express 24/7, a 24-hour English-language cable news channel in Pakistan, have launched a joint TV program on a trial basis called The Platform, which focuses on key issues in the U.S.-Pakistan relationship and the fight against terrorism. The twice-weekly 50-minute program, co-hosted from Express studios in Islamabad and VOA studios in Washington, is the first English-language TV talk show to be jointly produced by stations in Pakistan and the United States. In addition to studio guests, the show features live reports from the State Department, the Pentagon, the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and VOA’s New York, Los Angeles, and London bureaus. The Platform gives newsmakers and analysts in Islamabad an opportunity to present opinions on joint foreign policy issues, while guests in Washington provide the U.S. perspective. The inaugural show on June 28 explored the more than 60-year history of U.S.-Pakistan relations and provided perspective on the current state of the alliance. VOA