MUMBAI: BBC Global News has announced its US08 Election bus tour across America to report the build-up to the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, with coverage commencing on Wednesday, 10 September.

The initiative will carry a tri-media team of journalists from BBC World Service radio and online (English network and language services), BBC World News and BBC America television, including flagship news programme BBC World News America, and bbc.com/news.

BBC reporters on the integrated, multi-media US08 Election bus will seek to discover what Americans are really talking about and what the world is saying about their nation.

BBC Global News director Richard Sambrook says, “The BBC US08 Election bus tour is a fine example of multi-platform commissioning enabling us to harness the skills and expertise of our teams from across BBC World Service, BBC World News and bbc.com/news, as we report one of the biggest and significant international news stories of the year”.

Travelling from West coast to East coast, the US08 Election bus will cross 15 U.S. states, clocking up some 4000 miles during its landmark journey, including stops at each of the critical presidential debates in Oxford, Mississippi, Nashville and Long Island.

However, with an objective of finding out what everyday Americans want and need from their new President, the US08 Election bus will also visit smaller towns and outposts along the way. The BBC Global News teams will investigate the real issues at the heart of these communities, with likely topics including the economy, environment, poverty, health care, race and age.

In addition, the US08 Election bus initiative will link Americans with the millions of people around the world watching the electoral race with interest and stimulate a global conversation by reporting international attitudes and perceptions towards America, through a series of overseas outside broadcasts across the BBC’s TV, online and radio services.

BBC World Service senior commissioning editor Anne Koch says, “The BBC US08 Election bus tour is a unique initiative providing international audiences with a global perspective on the real issues within the U.S. election campaign. It offers an alternative insight into the many communities which make up America’s vibrant and diverse society, as well as giving Americans themselves the opportunity to see what the world is saying about them”.