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BBC
World Service gains annual funding increase of 3.4% in real terms
in Government spending review
The
BBC World Service will gain an average annual increase of 3.4% in
real terms over the next three years as part of the Government's
Spending Review for 2003-2006, it was announced in Parliament today
(Monday 15 July).
The
new investment represents an extra £48 million spread over
the three years, in addition to a strong, stable capital baseline.
The
money will be used to:
· consolidate recent extensions in BBC services following
the events of September 11th and launch new programmes serving Afghanistan,
South West Asia and the Arab World
· develop landmark radio programmes on global issues such
as Global Security; Islam in the 21st century, and Development and
Democracy
· develop new flagship programming serving Africa, China
and Europe
· strengthen online capability through more depth in key
language sites and increased interactivity
· expand World Service availability on FM, particularly in
capital cities
· support the World Service's important capital modernisation
programme.
BBC
Chairman Gavyn Davies welcomed the announcement: "We feel the
Government has justifiably recognised the importance and impact
of the World Service by providing substantial new investment."
The
Director of the BBC World Service, Mark Byford, said: "The
settlement is a strong endorsement of the BBC World Service at a
time when the global appetite for international news and analysis
has increased.
"It
is recognition that the need for our values, of impartial, authoritative
and editorially independent journalism, is greater than ever.
"The
investment comes on the back of a year of outstanding achievement
for the World Service in which we extended key services and won
numerous prestigious awards in response to September 11th and the
war in Afghanistan.
"This
is a significant settlement for the World Service, representing
real terms growth."
The
BBC World Service gains an additional £8 million, £13
million, £27 million respectively in each of the three years.
The settlement goes hand-in-hand with a rigorous programme of efficiency
over the period.
Notes to Editors
·
BBC World Service is funded through grant-in-aid from the Foreign
Office.
· The grant-in-aid currently stands at £201 million
and will increase by £38 million to £239 million by
2005/6, including the additional £11 million for 2003/4 announced
in the 2000 spending review.
· At least 150 million people around the world listen to
BBC World Service every week. It remains the world's best known
and most listened to international radio broadcaster.
· The BBC World Service broadcasts in 43 languages including
English. The other languages are: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali,
Brazilian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cantonese, Croatian, Czech, French,
Greek, Hausa, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Kazakh, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi,
Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese,
Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Slovak, Slovene, Somali, Spanish,
Swahili, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, and Vietnamese.
· In the UK, World Service in English is available on 648
MW in south eastern England. In addition, overnight on BBC Radio
4, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Ulster. And via digital radio,
digital satellite and the internet. The English Network can be heard
on the BBC's digital multiplex in the UK, or in Europe on the Astra
satellite, channel 865. BBC World Service Extra - a new radio service
broadcasting in the key languages of Afghanistan and the surrounding
region - is available on digital satellite channel 902.
· Outside the UK, BBC World Service is available on short
wave; on FM in more than 129 capital cities; and selected programmes
are carried on almost 2,000 FM and MW radio stations around the
world.
· High quality reception of World Service programmes is available
via satellite in Europe and North America.
· The BBC World Service website - www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice
- contains extensive, interactive news services and audiostreaming
available in 43 languages. It also contains detailed information
about World Service broadcasts, schedules and frequencies.
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