The BBC are planning to reduce their World Service budget by 10 per cent, cut 382 jobs, and end certain programs, the broadcaster has announced.
Under the new plans, BBC Arabic radio and BBC Persian radio will also close.
The cuts follow the BBC’s announcement of a new digital-first “blueprint” in May, which included the news that BBC Four and CBBC will end as linear channels in the coming years.The corporation said the plans would “accelerate its digital offering and increase impact with audiences around the globe”.
World Service English will continue to operate globally as 24-hour broadcast radio, with new scheduling, programmes and podcasts announced in due course.
The BBC said: “Today’s proposals entail a net total of around 382 post closures. The proposals will see seven more language services moving to digital only, modelling the success of others which are already offering purely digital services and performing well with audiences. This means that nearly half of all 41 language services will be digital only.
I can understand the digital push in some countries but for others having a basic radio and listening to the BBC World Service (and others) is all the only access the poorest people have, especially in countries with governments that cut off or seriously censor the internet.
Sounds like bad news. I listen to a *lot* of World Service programmes and I’d hate to lose any of them.
Not being funny but shouldn’t we be trying to preserve every bit of soft power we have left?
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***From The Telegraph’s Craig Simpson:***
The BBC are planning to reduce their World Service budget by 10 per cent, cut 382 jobs, and end certain programs, the broadcaster has announced.
Under the new plans, BBC Arabic radio and BBC Persian radio will also close.
The cuts follow the BBC’s announcement of a new digital-first “blueprint” in May, which included the news that BBC Four and CBBC will end as linear channels in the coming years.The corporation said the plans would “accelerate its digital offering and increase impact with audiences around the globe”.
World Service English will continue to operate globally as 24-hour broadcast radio, with new scheduling, programmes and podcasts announced in due course.
The BBC said: “Today’s proposals entail a net total of around 382 post closures. The proposals will see seven more language services moving to digital only, modelling the success of others which are already offering purely digital services and performing well with audiences. This means that nearly half of all 41 language services will be digital only.
**Read more for free:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/09/29/bbc-cut-382-jobs-bbc-world-service/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/09/29/bbc-cut-382-jobs-bbc-world-service/)
I can understand the digital push in some countries but for others having a basic radio and listening to the BBC World Service (and others) is all the only access the poorest people have, especially in countries with governments that cut off or seriously censor the internet.
Sounds like bad news. I listen to a *lot* of World Service programmes and I’d hate to lose any of them.
Not being funny but shouldn’t we be trying to preserve every bit of soft power we have left?