Comcast’s NBC News and Sky News are teaming up to launch a new weekly international affairs podcast, “The World with Richard Engel & Yalda Hakim,” which will “combine eyewitness reporting from the front lines of some of the world’s most dangerous places with in-depth analysis and conversations with some of the most important and influential people on the global stage.”
The new programming will leverage the news expertise, reach and celebrity of the leading U.S. and U.K. news brands that media, entertainment, telecommunications and technology giant Comcast has under its umbrella since acquiring European media and tech giant Sky in 2018.
Engel is chief foreign correspondent for NBC News and Hakim is chief world news presenter for Sky News. New episodes will be available wherever you get podcasts every Wednesday starting October 9.
“Well known to news audiences for their courageous reporting from conflict zones around the world, they have known each other as friendly competitors throughout their award-winning careers,” Sky and NBC said in a statement. “Now, under one roof as sister news organisations, they will come together every week to offer audiences a thoughtful perspective on some of the world’s most complex issues and deliver complete stories about the people shaping global events.”
Their goal is to give listeners “a front-row view into the most pressing issues of our time.”
“I am thrilled to be collaborating with my friend Richard Engel, one of the most talented foreign correspondents of our time, on an exciting new project to understand the world,” said Hakim, adding, “We live in a time of increasing conflict and polarization. At times it feels like the very concept of truth is fading, especially as technology makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fake, and distrust between and within societies grows. So I hope this podcast can act as a port in the storm.”
Engel said the podcast’s launch comes at an important time. “We’re in the midst of covering a conflict that is having ripple effects around the world, and I can’t think of anyone better suited to explore these complex events with me and dig into some of the most pressing issues than Yalda Hakim,” he said. “She’s a brilliant reporter, compassionate, hardworking and inquisitive, and together we’ll be talking to fascinating people about the intriguing and important subjects that have made us witnesses to history.”
According to Sky and NBC News, the inspiration for the podcast dates back to two key experiences by the hosts: In 2007, Engel was invited to the White House for a private, one-on-one meeting with President George W. Bush to discuss Iraq and Middle East policy. “Richard’s ability to be in the middle of the fighting and provide rapid, accurate and extensive analysis of what was going on caught the president’s attention,” the pair said.
Meanwhile, in 2021, shortly before the fall of Kabul, Hakim received a call from the Taliban while he was live on air. “In a world exclusive, a spokesman assured Hakim that no one in the city would be harmed if Taliban forces entered the city,” the outlet reported. “The episode highlighted Yalda as one of the most well-connected and respected journalists in the industry, and the show will leverage her extensive network to bring in the most knowledgeable and high-profile guests.”
NBC News and Sky News target global audiences with new podcast: “We are proud to partner with Sky News to bring together world-class journalists into one show that can be heard by a global audience,” highlighted David Verdi, Executive Vice President, Global Newsgathering, NBC News.
“These delicate times call for additional insight and analysis, and that is exactly the type of journalism Yalda Hakim and Richard Engel can deliver,” added Sky News Group Chairman David Rose. “Sky News and NBC News have been under the same corporate umbrella for more than five years, and Yalda and Richard’s collaboration will demonstrate the global potential of that partnership – its ability to deliver complete news first-hand to audiences around the world.”