The loss of "Crossing Continents" is unfortunate...while that has only been on the World Service for a short while, it's a fixture on the domestic Radio 4 service...wonder if it's a goner there too?
Richard On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 8:37 AM, Richard Cuff <[email protected]> wrote: > One wonders if a part of this is a public negotiation process between the > World Service and the FCO and the BBC Trust...as the funding > responsibilities transition. > > If this were to move forward, it looks like the end of 2014 will see most > shortwave use eliminated by the BBC. > > Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA > > > On Wed, Jan 26, 2011 at 7:54 AM, Alokesh Gupta <[email protected]>wrote: > >> >> >> BBC World Service cuts language services and radio broadcasts to meet >> tough Spending Review settlement >> >> BBC World Service gave details of its response to a cut to its >> Grant-in-Aid funding from the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office today. >> >> BBC World Service is to carry out a fundamental restructure in order to >> meet the 16 per cent savings target required by the Government's Spending >> Review of 20 October last year. >> To ensure the 16 per cent target is achieved and other unavoidable cost >> increases are met BBC World Service is announcing cash savings of 20 per >> cent over the next three years. This amounts to an annual saving of £46m by >> April 2014, when Grant-in-Aid funding comes to an end as BBC World Service >> transfers to television licence fee funding, agreed as part of the domestic >> BBC's licence fee settlement announced on the same day. >> >> In the first year, starting in April 2011, the international broadcaster >> will be making savings of £19m on this year's operating expenditure of >> £236.7m (2010/11). >> >> The changes include: >> >> - five full language service closures; >> - the end of radio programmes in seven languages, focusing those services >> on online and new media content and distribution; and >> - a phased reduction from most short wave and medium wave distribution of >> remaining radio services. >> >> BBC Global News Director Peter Horrocks said: "This is a painful day for >> BBC World Service and the 180 million people around the world who rely on >> the BBC's global news services every week. We are making cuts in services >> that we would rather not be making. But the scale of the cut in BBC World >> Service's Grant-in-Aid funding is such that we couldn't cope with this by >> efficiencies alone. >> "What won't change is the BBC's aim to continue to be the world's best >> known and most trusted provider of high quality impartial and editorially >> independent international news. We will continue to bring the BBC's >> expertise, perspectives and content to the largest worldwide audience, which >> will reflect well on Britain and its people." >> >> BBC World Service also plans spending reductions and efficiencies across >> the board, targeted in particular in support areas where there will be >> average cuts of 33 per cent. >> BBC World Service also expects to generate additional savings from the new >> ways of working after the move to the BBC's London headquarters at >> Broadcasting House in 2012, and also by the transfer of BBC World Service to >> television licence fee funding in April 2014. >> Under these proposals 480 posts are expected to close over the next year. >> By the time the BBC World Service moves in to the licence fee in 2014/15 >> we anticipate the number of proposed closures to reach 650. Some of these >> closures may be offset by new posts being created during this period. >> It is expected that audiences will fall by more than 30 million from the >> current weekly audience of 180 million as a result of the changes this year. >> The changes have been approved by the BBC Trust, the BBC Executive and, in >> relation to closure of services, The Secretary of State for Foreign and >> Commonwealth Affairs, William Hague, as he is required to do under the terms >> of the BBC's agreement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. >> >> The changes in detail are: >> >> Full language service closures >> >> There will be the complete closure of five language services - Albanian, >> Macedonian, Portuguese for Africa and Serbian languages; as well as the >> English for the Caribbean regional service. >> >> End of radio programming >> >> BBC World Service will cease all radio programming - focusing instead, as >> appropriate, on online, mobile and television content and distribution - in >> the following languages: Azeri, Mandarin Chinese (note that Cantonese radio >> programming continues), Russian (save for some programmes which will be >> distributed online only), Spanish for Cuba, Turkish, Vietnamese, and >> Ukrainian. >> >> Reductions in short wave and medium wave radio distribution >> >> There will be a phased reduction in medium wave and short wave throughout >> the period. >> English language short wave and medium wave broadcasts to Russia and the >> Former Soviet Union are planned to end in March 2011. The 648 medium wave >> service covering Western Europe and south-east England will end in March >> 2011. Listeners in the UK can continue to listen on DAB, digital television >> and online. Those in Europe can continue to listen online or direct to home >> free-to-air satellite via Hotbird and UK Astra. By March 2014, short wave >> broadcasts of the English service could be reduced to two hours per day in >> Africa and Asia. >> BBC World Service will cease all short wave distribution of its radio >> content in March 2011 in: Hindi, Indonesian, Kyrgyz, Nepali, Swahili and the >> Great Lakes service (for Rwanda and Burundi). >> These radio services will continue to be available for audiences by other >> means of distribution such as FM radio (direct broadcasts and via partners); >> online; mobiles and other new media devices. >> Short wave broadcasts in remaining languages other than English are >> expected to end by March 2014 with the exception of a small number of >> "lifeline" services such as Burmese and Somali. >> >> English language programmes >> >> There will be a new schedule for World Service English language >> programming - a focus on four daily news titles (BBC Newshour, BBC World >> Today, BBC World Briefing, and BBC World Have Your Say); and a new morning >> programme for Africa. There will be a new daily edition of From Our Own >> Correspondent; and an expansion of the interactive World Have Your Say >> programme. >> There will be a reduction from seven to five daily pre-recorded "non-news" >> programmes on the English service. This includes the loss of one of the four >> weekly documentary strands. Some programmes will be shortened. Titles such >> as Politics UK, Europe Today, World Of Music, Something Understood, Letter >> From., and Crossing Continents will all close. There will also be the loss >> of some correspondent posts. >> >> Audience reduction >> >> Audiences will fall by more than 30 million as a result of the changes >> announced on 26 January 2011. Investments in new services are planned in >> order to offset further net audience losses resulting from additional >> savings in the 2012-14 period. >> >> Professional Services >> >> There will be a substantial reduction in an already tight overhead budget. >> Teams in Finance, HR, Business Development, Strategy, Marketing and other >> administrative operations will face cuts averaging 33 per cent. >> Job losses >> >> Under these proposals 480 posts would be declared redundant; of these 26 >> posts are currently unfilled vacancies. BBC World Service is proposing to >> open 21 new posts. Therefore the net impact of these proposed changes could >> result in up to 433 posts being closed this financial year against a total >> staff number of 2400. >> By the time the BBC World Service moves in to the licence fee in 2014/15 >> we anticipate the number of proposed closures to reach up to 650. Some of >> these closures may be offset by new posts being created during this period. >> >> (BBC World Service Press Office) >> >> ----- >> >> Alokesh Gupta, VU3BSE >> New Delhi >> >
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