Happenings on BBC World

Today it was announced that BBC World and BBC World Service are to merge.  i wont quote the whole article here i'll link to it, but one line is of particular interest.

'BBC World will no longer be part of the BBC's commercial subsidiary BBC Worldwide.'

Now...  BBC World Service is available as a digital radio channel on sky digital, so maybe BBC World will be joining the lineup now its splitting from BBC Worldwide...

http://www.produxion.com/news/asp/ArticleViewUser.asp?aid=8228&sid=7&pid=1

(Edited by mdta at 11:55 am on Oct. 30, 2001)

I don't expect this to happen.

BBC World will NOT be funded by the Grant-in-aid funding from the Foreign office that pays for BBC World Service radio.

BBC World is still to be funded by advertising, and to broadcast this to the UK would be in direct contravention of the BBCs Charter. (The BBC is only allowed to broadcast services containing advertising outside the UK)

I think the change is mainly to allow the channels to more effectively work together editorially, and so appear more unified to viewers and listeners. It also allows development of on-line services with linked video, audio and text content.

Well, Fox News is on sky, except sky cover up the adverts, the same could happen here...

Now they are part of BBC News International and not the BBC's COMERCIAL Arm, they could still be shown.

It won't happen. The way BBC World is funded is not being changed. It will remain a commercially funded channel. This is really just a cosmetic change to allow News to co-ordinate better use of correspondents/resources etc and to build a World brand for TV, Radio and Online.

It won't happen. The way BBC World is funded is not being changed. It will remain a commercially funded channel. This is really just a cosmetic change to allow News to co-ordinate better use of correspondents/resources etc and to build a World brand for TV, Radio and Online.

well your in the know...

I thought the UK broadcasting rules were because of BBC Worldwide owning the channel.

As Nicky and Noggin have said, it nothing to do with who is managing it, the reason BBC World is not available in the UK is purely down to the fact it is funded by commercials.

andyrew... are you a BBC Employee then...

I saw on some message board the other day that BBC World and News 24 will ultimately merge. Does the move to World Service imply something may happen along these lines in the future? Especially if the Government relaxes its commercial restrictions on World?

He is. Between he, Noggin, Techy and Nicky they usually are the most reliable sources of BBC happenings here on the forum.