Cuts and Job Losses at the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ
| 10:12 UK time, Wednesday, 26 January 2011
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This topic was discussed on World Have Your Say on 26 January 2011. Listen to the programme.
It's a strange day at Bush House today after the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ announced that it will be cutting 650 jobs out of 2,400 from the World Service. One colleague described it as if someone had died. Staff are digesting the news that five of the World Service's 32 language services will be closed; Macedonian, Serbian, Albanian, English for the Caribbean and Portuguese for Africa.
Here are the details of the cuts. It will also be the end of radio programmes in seven languages, including services to Russia and China, and medium and short wave transmissions will be reduced.
The Foreign Secretary William Hague told Parliament, that the World Service had initally suggested closing up to 13 language services but it had refused permission.
He said the World Service had a "viable and promising future", but was "not immune from public spending constraints".
"It is absolutely right for the World Service to move more services to online and mobile," he said. "That is the way the world is going. The World Service has to move with the future, and of course some services have to close."
These are some of the comments from our page:
Annie in Barbados posts on Facebook
This will be a real blow to us in the Caribbean. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ represents the gold standard for radio programming here. How can you maintain the same level of quality after losing such a large number of employees?
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Susan in Canada writes
I would be very sad to have my ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ world service effected. I live in Alberta Canada and listen everyday. I would consider paying a fee to access the world service on line, if that would maintain the high quality of radio I get now.
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Stephan in the US posts
The cut to Serbia sounds very disturbing. Among Eurasian regions that need info without a ethnic or religious slant this is one of them.
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What do you think? Are you upset by these cuts or do you think they are necessary and manageable? Will you be directly affected by them? What do you think? Are you upset by these cuts or do you think they are necessary and manageable? Will you be directly affected by them?
On todays' programme we will be joined by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Spokesman Craig Oliver - Controller, Global News English. He took your questions several months ago when the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ licence fee settlement was announced and he's back to do the same today. You can post them below.
