MUMBAI: The launch of BBC Persian television and other major multimedia
developments helped BBC World Service extend its reach to record numbers
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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:
www.bbcworldservice.com/annual_review2009
