Category: World Service
Date: 25.10.2005
Printable version
Key points of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Review
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The review concluded that Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service will:
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Launch a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic language television service in 2007. It will initially broadcast 12 hours a day and be freely available to everyone with a satellite or cable connection in the Middle East;
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Ensure the English language schedule reflects rapidly changing audience demands and usage and gives Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service a clearer role as a news and information provider.
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It will have a strong emphasis on explanation, context, analysis and on-the-spot reporting, while offering a global view of events, trends and culture - using a broad range of news, magazine and documentary programmes.
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The agenda will include the arts, sport, business developments, religion and science as now.
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The network will have a clearer distinction between weekday and weekend output, with a World Drama as a highlight of the schedule at weekends;
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Invest more fully in new media initiatives and technology capable of enabling audience participation, debate and the publishing of audience views through a 'Global Conversation';
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Seek to distribute text, audio and video content across a range of on-demand platforms - including broadband and mobile phones with a major focus on video news in priority languages;
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Focus all New Media initiatives initially in English, Arabic, Portuguese for Brazil, Spanish, Urdu, Persian and Russian languages;
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Allocate an extra Β£4.6m a year by the end of 2008 to New Media projects;
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Invest Β£3.5m by the end of 2008 to obtain further local FM partnerships and other radio distribution methods to improve audibility and increase reach. This will counteract the rapid global decline in shortwave listening;
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Increase marketing effort by a further Β£2.6m a year by the end of 2008 to secure and retain Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service impact in key markets;
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Seek to explore the viability of developing further vernacular television services - for example Persian - as well as the possibility of making the most of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service investment in news reporting in video to provide bulletins for television partners and external websites in Russia, Latin America and South Asia;
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Look to maximise the value of our current offer to China in English and Mandarin, especially non-News material including English Language Teaching; and continue to ask Chinese authorities for access for our news services on all media.
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The new investments will be funded by a reduction in its provision of vernacular language radio services and a vigorous programme of efficiencies as well as new funds granted to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service in the 2004 Spending Review.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service will reduce its portfolio of vernacular language services from 43 languages (including English) to 33;
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Broadcasts in the following languages will cease by March 2006: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene and Thai;
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We are also making changes to the balance of investment in our Portuguese for Brazil service.
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Following dramatic media market developments in Brazil - where online access to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is now more popular than conventional radio broadcasting - the Portuguese for Brazil radio service will focus on news bulletins for key partner stations, ceasing to produce long format radio programmes by March 2006.
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Its online service is growing its traffic rapidly and will see major new investment to enrich it;
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service will continue to meet its rising costs through a vigorous programme of efficiencies.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic Television Channel
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The new Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic Television news and information channel service will complement the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's highly regarded news and current affairs services on radio and online for Arabic speaking audiences in the Middle East and around the world.
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is already regarded as the most successful, trusted and respected international voice in the Middle East after broadcasting for 67 years on radio.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service will be the first media organisation to have a strong tri-media offer in news, current affairs and information for Arabic-speaking audiences in the region and around the world.
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The television channel will launch in 2007.
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It will initially broadcast 12 hours a day and be freely available to everyone with a satellite or cable connection in the region.
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The operating cost of Β£19m a year will be found from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service's existing grant-in-aid funding from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service intends to continue to explore funding options to enable the proposed service to become a full 24 hour operation.
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Repeated audience research in seven capital cities across the region between 2003 and 2005 indicated that between 80 and 90 per cent of those surveyed would be either "very likely" or "fairly likely" to use the new Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Arabic Television service.
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Most potential users cited the trusted nature of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ brand, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's independence, and the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's strong record in news coverage for their strong interest.
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Service reductions
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The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service review assessed Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service's current provision of 43 languages, including English.
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Among the factors taken into account were the positive changes in the political environment over the last 15 years in each country, the availability of an open and free media marketplace, the impact of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ services in each marketplace and the availability of other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ services.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News
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Following detailed discussions with management in Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News, who supply news in the English language to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service, savings targets have been agreed for the next two years.
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Over the past few years Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service has invested around Β£2m in new initiatives in Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News; these include new posts, correspondents and programmes.
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Also, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News operations have been protected from the full effect of recent annual rounds of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service efficiency savings.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News has been asked to make proposals to save around Β£2.3m over the next two years.
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This will come from new programming and scheduling, new and more efficient ways of working and some minor reductions in our news gathering capacity.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News will be talking to staff and unions later today about the impact on jobs.
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Jobs
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It is currently forecast that there will be 236 overall job reductions from these restructuring proposals.
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However, more job reductions will be announced after the impact of the restructuring on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ News has been discussed with unions and staff.
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The current forecast total is made up of 218 posts due to the closure of 10 language services (around 127 jobs in the UK and 91 overseas); and a further 18 posts will be lost in other reprioritisation, such as the Portuguese for Brazil service concentrating on news bulletins and online.
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In all around 201 new jobs have been or will be created by the new investment.
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It is expected that 148 new jobs will be created by the new Arabic channel; 41 new posts for New Media and interactive initiatives; and 12 in international offices.
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