BBC World Service cuts

Today the BBC has announced significant cuts to its World Service. 

They will be cutting at least 600 jobs, closing foreign-language services and scaling back many other programs and operations. The language services being closed are Albanian; Macedonian; Serbian; Portuguese output for Africa; and an English-language service tailored to the Caribbean. Ominously, a reduction of programmes in another seven languages is also set to be announced later. The Chinese service will also be scaled back and reoriented towards a younger audience outside China.

Quoted in the Financial Times, Steven Barnett, professor of communications at the University of Westminster said “A huge amount of soft power accrues from the World Service, a fact which these savage cuts suggest is simply being ignored.” and.... “To shut down services in such important regions is not just contrary to the interests of the listeners who are being stripped of services that they value, it is also contrary to Britain’s own interests.”

Barker, A. and Bintliff, E. (2011) World Service plans to shed 500 jobs. Financial Times, [online] 25 Jan. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/8281920/BBC-World-Service-to-lose-600-jobs.html (Accessed 26 Jan 2011)

BBC News, entertainment and arts. (2011) BBC World Service cuts to be outlined to staff [online]. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12283356 (Accessed 26 Jan 2011)

Plunkett, J. (2011) BBC World Service to 'cut up to 650 jobs The Guardian [online] 26 Jan. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/25/bbc-world-service-jobs (Accessed 26 Jan 2011)