Cultural Capital

Reflections on books and the arts from the New Statesman culture desk

Why the World Service must be saved

By Daniel Trilling Published 18 September 2010 11:10

A brief note to alert readers to this week's Radio column by Antonia Quirke, who warns of imminent cuts to the BBC's World Service:

Already, the dedicated film programme and various religious programmes on the station are gone, the Proms are pencilled to go, and Wimbledon coverage, too (neither confirmed, but mooted at a recent meeting). Be warned, something terrible is happening: the World Service is being pared back to a rolling news channel.

In particular, her final paragraph reminds us just what is at stake:

On the few occasions I have presented programmes for the WS myself, and happened to spend time in the building, the station's gobsmacking reach was never once in my hearing pushed to PRs - it was never stressed, for example, that the station attracts a weekly audience of 241 million people across the world. Two hundred and forty-one million. Or that it has more than 2,000 partner radio stations globally. That more people are listening to it in the United States, say, or Tanzania, than ever before.

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16 comments

Fri, 2010-10-22 06:26 — Greg Dyke (not verified)

The world service is so wonderful I have arranged to have piped into my coffin when I am clinically dead.

Sat, 2010-10-02 14:42 — Sleepless in Australia (not verified)

How would I manage without the World Service to listen to throughout the night?

Sat, 2010-09-18 12:44 — swatantra nandanwar

There is no better Broadcasting serivice in the World than the BBC, and the World Service is the very best of ther output. long may it continue providing objective informative and entertaining programming.

Mon, 2010-09-20 08:24 — lavinia moore

I do know that at times i have been fed up with the BBc's lack of fortitude when bullied by those like the Blair regime, but compared to all else?
Its like democracy: not perfect but better than all the alternatives.
(English speaking media)
I live in Australia where a combination of murdochracy and supine politicians' forelock tugging anything means that anything to do with privatisation gets a big hooray while our two public broadcasters are all but ruined. One has even resorted to commercials and pap from the USA because they cant afford decent shows anymore.
I love radio.It may be oldfashioned, but it is still the easiest way to keep up to date with world news etc while being able to get on with other things around the house. You can fall asleep with it and wake up to it.
If you could listen to the inane semi-literate mutterings of Australia's News radio, then you would not be surprised how many millions choose to listen instead to the BBC, when and if we can.
We need you.
In the developing world I know that many poor people get "educated" through radio. Some learn to speak English by listening to the BBC.
I would have thought that your pollies would realise that the BBC is the best goodwill ambassador the UK has.
Damn sight better public relations exzercise than selling weapons and invading countries with guns!
I care.
And I think millions around the world care.
So just because we dont scream and yell, doesn't mean we dont matter.
And just because the BBC doesnt scream and yell, doesnt mean they dont either.
Three cheers for the BBC.
Guv, there is none wot does it better!
lavinia moore

Sat, 2010-09-18 15:58 — Simon lewis (not verified)

I think this is the BBC acting in the face of perceived or otherwise threats from the coalition govt,. The Tories from day 1 have always been against the BBC and the threat to them has never been greater.

Mon, 2010-09-20 10:41 — writeoff (not verified)

I have some sympathy with that view Lavinia. The BBC is not all bad, but the comment about the FCO agenda is not far off either - nevertheless the World Service does a better job of promoting the UK than the royal family or geopolitical war gaming. The UK can only benefit from that.

Sat, 2010-09-18 17:48 — AfricanSnowman

Giebells would have been proud of the BBC

Sat, 2010-09-18 18:39 — swatantra nandanwar

I don't see what gerbils have got to do with the BBC. The BBC has always been independent of State and Govt interference, and spoken out for the truth. Thats why authoritarian/totalitaerian regimes at home or abroad do not like the BBC. You can trust the BBC and believe you are listening to the truth.

Sat, 2010-09-18 20:47 — Clem the Gem

These aren't cuts, its butchery.

Sat, 2010-09-18 21:36 — MAKootage

I won't mourn the demise of the World Service, or other BBC programmes.

I could say that the BBC team carries a bias that belittles my intelligence. Of course, every channel has its leanings. But it is disturbing that in the marketplace of information and ideas, a monolithic entity exerts such disproportionate weight.

May citizen journalism rise further this year. But the BBC's demise will be most certainly felt in those places where there are few alternatives.

Sat, 2010-09-18 23:28 — writeoff (not verified)

You CAN Trust the BBC - to spout whatever power whispers in its ear. Some gems slip through like they always have done, but its news service is mostly horrendous. It is so neutered now it won't even whimper out loud as the jackals tear it to pieces. The World Service is the best of the BBC, so it makes sense to kill off any good example to build the case for final dismantlement.

Sat, 2010-09-18 23:45 — jeremiah

I don't know why we should give a toss.

The BBC World Service is essentially an arm of the FCO and is not really part of the BBC at all.

British people don't really see any benefit from the World Service.

If it is a choice between keeping Doctors or Nurses in post or funding a broadcasting service for foreigners I know what my choice is!

Fri, 2010-10-15 16:52 — Assia W. (not verified)

Yes,yes, alright we should keep it.
But it would be even better if we in Britain had more access to it too.
I really don't understand why our licence fee doesn't cover watching BBC World Service too - is it some half-wit conspiracy to keep us all isolated and ignorant on this small island? I'd much rather watch a programme on the BBC world service than on the BBC, myself, I have to say. And BBC World Service news are far better than our local news, as a whole. No wonder Britain is full of chavs. We're being deprived of access to good, international news and programmes.