BBC World Service annual review '08-'09 released
MUMBAI: The launch of BBC Persian television and other major multimedia
developments helped BBC World Service extend its reach to record numbers
while maintaining the highest standards of journalism, according to the
BBC World Service Annual Review for 2008/09, published on Tuesday.
The review provides information about BBC World Service's performance during a year
of major news events like Gaza, Georgia and the US Elections. In his
foreword, BBC Global News Director Richard Sambrook highlights BBC World
Service's expansion as a multimedia media broadcaster during the year
which included the launch of BBC Persian television:
"People come to BBC World Service for journalism that is challenging and
asks difficult questions, yet respects different points of view and
actively encourages debate.
"Increasingly, they want access at a time and place that suits them. Major
progress was made towards achieving that goal in 2008/9."
The review highlights:
- BBC World Service further developed its multimedia strategy, including
the launch of BBC Persian television; the growth of BBC Arabic television
into a full 24-hour operation; and other online and mobile developments.
- BBC World Service attracted its highest audience ever, with a global
multimedia audience estimate of 188 million weekly across its 32 language
services.
- Independent research indicates that BBC World Service's reputation for
providing unbiased and objective news and information is stronger than
that of any other international radio competitor in most markets surveyed.
- In a unique partnership, six new YouTube video channels were launched -
in Arabic, Portuguese for Brazil, Persian, Russian, Spanish and Urdu.
- The BBC Global News podcast was downloaded nearly two million times in
January 2009.
- BBC Global News services - which include BBC World Service, BBC World
News television and bbc.com/news (the BBC's international-facing online
news site) - have a record global weekly audience of over 238 million
during 2008/09.
- BBC World Service's Grant-in-Aid funding for 2008/09 was ?265million.
The Annual Review can be accessed at:
