BBC World Service has announced a partnership with Deutsche Welle, the world-wide German broadcaster, which would allow a joint English-language digital radio service that would be geared towards 170 million Western and Central European listeners. The service is expected to be launched early next year, Brand Republic reported Tuesday.

The feature would be available from early morning until late at night and would include content ranging from global news, current affairs, in-depth analysis, documentaries and cultural broadcasts. Text would be offered alongside audio and would be taken directly from the BBC News site.

"This is an important time for DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) and a huge opportunity for broadcasters across Europe to look at the potential for new services and reaching new audiences,” said Mike Cronk, BBC World Service's controller, according to Brand Republic. "With this announcement, two of the most important players in international broadcasting are re-affirming their faith in the DRM standard."