BBC World Service broadcasts in Burma face axe | Media | The Guardian

Quote:

The BBC is locked in talks with the government over drastic cuts to the World Service budget which could force it to withdraw from Burma and several other countries. The Foreign Office, which funds the World Service through an annual £272m grant, has told executives to prepare for a possible budget cut of 25% from April 2011 as part of the public sector cutbacks. The BBC service in Burma is one of those identified by the government as under threat, according to a diplomatic source. "The Burma office is up for grabs. It is a question of costs. It is very expensive and has relatively few listeners. The 'human rights' argument doesn't hold much sway with the new Foreign Office." The World Service Russian presence, which reaches about 700,000 listeners and a further 1 million through its Russian-language website, may also be vulnerable to cuts, according to BBC insiders. BBC sources said talks with the government would continue for six weeks, however, and claim no final decisions have been made. The outcome of the consultation will be known on 20 October, when the chancellor, George Osborne, outlines the scale of the government cuts in the Treasury's public spending review. The apparent threat to a Burmese service that has been used by dissidents to monitor the ruling military junta and learn of the outside world has angered Labour. David Miliband, the shadow foreign secretary, called on the government to confirm it will ringfence the BBC Burmese service. "The World Service is a steady, credible voice in parts of the world where the only other messages blend threats and propaganda. Scrapping the World Service in Burma would be a gift to the military junta, and an insult to political prisoners locked in Burma's jails for no crime." The BBC first broadcast in Burmese 70 years ago at the start of war in the far east. Since then the BBC Burmese section has witnessed and recorded all the political events, including military crackdowns and the election victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy in May 1990. It broadcasts for over an hour every day and attracts an audience of 8.5 million, according to figures released by the BBC earlier this year. Although best known for its radio broadcasts the World Service also runs websites and TV stations in 32 countries in dozens of languages. It has a global audience of 241 million across TV, online, radio and mobile phones. The World Service was criticised for pulling out of eight countries in eastern Europe three years ago to fund new services in the Middle East, including a new Persian TV service. The BBC argued that audiences in the former Soviet bloc were falling while the Foreign Office believed its resources could be better employed in a region where Britain is attempting to effect change. The Russian service was maintained, however, and any move to close or reduce it would also be controversial. Asked to comment on claims that the government plans to cut BBC Burmese, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: "As part of the spending review we are in discussion with the Treasury about all aspects of the FCO's future budget, including the FCO's grant in aid to the British Council and World Service. "The outcome of the spending review will be announced to parliament on 20 October. It would be wrong to comment on the details while the review is under way. "The foreign secretary [William Hague] has repeatedly made clear the importance he attaches to both the British Council and the World Service. He has also made clear the need for all parts of the FCO family, including the Council and World Service, to contribute to efforts to boost efficiency and cut public spending," she said. BBC sources stress that executives are examining a number of scenarios in an attempt to reduce costs, including reducing investment in some platforms as an alternative to ending their presence in some countries. A spokesman for the World Service said: "Like all publicly funded bodies, we have been asked to consider the likely impact of significant funding cuts and applying them to a wide range of scenarios. "It is important to note that no decisions have been made; and we will discuss any confirmed impact on our services with staff first. "We will continue to argue confidently that the BBC World Service is one of Britain's most effective and vital assets in the global arena; particularly at a time when other governments are increasing, not reducing, their own investments in international broadcasting."

It's amazing that they're always ready to axe bits of the World Service but go on paying for Chris Moyles. Do the honestly believe that the latter provides more utility?

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