US viewers turn to BBC news

Correspondent Rageh Omaar has seen his profile rise

TV ratings for BBC News in the US have risen by more than a quarter since the outbreak of war while American news programmes have suffered.

Figures for the corporation's world news reports increased by 28% in the weeks following the first attacks on Iraq.

In some areas, including Dallas, Texas, demand has quadrupled, according to the Public Broadcast Service (PBS) which carries the bulletins.

But major US network CBS has seen audiences for its evening news bulletins fall by 15%, ABC has seen its ratings decrease by nearly six per cent.

Rolling news channels Fox News and CNN have both enjoyed large audience increases.

There has been a debate about the bias shown by US news networks in their reporting.

Fox News says it has been balanced in its journalism.

But critics, who say it rarely gives the Arab point of view, point to the use of an American flag that continuously sits in the corner of the screen as a mark that it is biased.

'Impartial'

BBC News bulletins are carried on cable network BBC America as well as PBS.

Jonathan Howlett, director of airtime sales at BBC World, said more viewers were tuning in to the network for its "balanced and impartial" reporting.

"Coupled with the flood of very positive viewer comments we have been receiving via e-mail over the past few weeks, this paints a very strong picture for BBC World as the international news source of choice for global TV audiences," he said.