Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service has announced that it will be closing five language services – Albanian, Macedonian, Portuguese for Africa and Serbian; as well as the English for the Caribbean regional service.

This is part of its response to a cut to its Grant-in-Aid funding from the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office. The cut is part of a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service restructure in order to meet a 16% savings target announced in the Government's Spending Review of 20 October last year.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Global News Director Peter Horrocks said: "These closures are not a reflection on the performance of individual services or programmes. They are all extremely important to their audiences and to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.

"It is simply that there is a need to make savings due to the scale of the cuts to the World Service's Grant-in-Aid funding from the UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office and we need to focus our efforts in the languages where there is the greatest need and where we have the strongest impact."

Notes to Editors

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service will not be confirming further details tonight ahead of briefing staff tomorrow. However, further information will be confirmed tomorrow at a press conference.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Press Office