[HCDX] BBC World Service audiences hit all-time record levels

[sakthi vel <ardicdxclub@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

PRESS RELEASE 

BBC World Service audiences hit all-time record levels


BBC World Service now attracts 163 million weekly
radio listeners to its 33 language services ? a record
audience for the world?s best-known and most respected
international broadcaster, according to figures
announced today (Monday, May 15).

The new weekly audience figure, compiled from
independent surveys around the globe, is an increase
of 14 million on last year?s figure of 149 million.
The new figure equates to around 50 per cent more
listeners than any comparable international
broadcaster.

This new figure smashes the previous BBC World Service
record audience of 153 million in 2001. 

BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman says: ?This
record-breaking audience is an outstanding achievement
against the background of fierce competition,
fast-developing technology and rapidly changing
audience demands in many media markets. 

?The challenges ahead for BBC World Service remain
formidable, as they do for all broadcasters, but this
is a strong and welcome indication that we are not
only strengthening our impact in priority areas but
are flourishing in the multimedia age.? 

More BBC radio in world?s capital cities 
Over 10 million extra listeners are listening on the
higher quality audibility of FM through partner
stations and the BBC?s own relays around the world.
BBC World Service is now available on high quality FM
sound in a record 150 capital cities out of a total of
around 190 ? up from 145 last year. 

Shortwave and medium wave listening also showed an
increase of around five million, particularly in rural
areas in parts of East Africa and S E Asia (Burma,
India and Nepal) which are among priority areas for
BBC World Service. 

Overall audience to all the BBC?s global news services

The BBC World Service audience figure contributes to a
combined record global weekly audience of over 210
million individuals to all the BBC?s international
news services ? BBC World Service radio, BBC World
television and the international-facing online news
service bbcnews.com; some of whom are using all three
media. This combined figure includes a record 65
million weekly viewers for BBC World ? the
commercially-funded international television news
channel.

New Media 
Online audiences to the BBC?s international facing
news sites have also shown significant rises. The
sites attracted around 500 million page impressions a
month in March 2006 compared to 324 million page
impressions in March 2005. This is a rise of over 50
per cent over the year. The site now attracts around
33 million unique users each month; up from around 21
million unique users a year ago.

   
SIGNIFICANT RADIO AUDIENCE CHANGES INCLUDE: 

English language network 
Global audiences to BBC World Service English language
broadcasts have risen to 42 million, up from 39
million last year.

Regional increases 
BBC World Service?s audiences in Africa and the Middle
East are now 73.6 million ? up 7.6million. An even
bigger increase of 7.9 million BBC radio listeners was
recorded in the Asia & Pacific Region of the world
which now has 61.1 million in total. 

NATIONAL RADIO AUDIENCE GAINS 
Burma 
Measured audiences in Burma rose by 6.7 million
listeners to 7.1 million. This rise is as a result of
improved access for the independent survey takers, who
are now able to measure audiences nationwide rather
than sample cities.

Nigeria 
BBC services in Nigeria gained 3.6 million listeners,
raising the total to 23.8 million. This figure means
the BBC has more than regained the 1.5 million
listeners it lost last year after a Government ban on
local FM stations rebroadcasting news programmes from
foreign broadcasters in 2004. Listeners have turned to
shortwave broadcasts, as the ban is still in place.

Tanzania 
Listeners to the Swahili Service in Tanzania rose by
2.7 million to 12.9 million. This follows a drop of
1.3 million last year. 

Nepal 
There was an increase in listeners to the BBC Nepalese
service of 2.6 million to 3.7 million, fuelled by
recent events. 

Indonesia 
Audiences in Indonesia rose again. There are now 6.4
million listeners - a rise of two million. This
follows a rise of 1.2 million listeners last year.

India 
There are now 17.6 million listeners in India ? a rise
of 1.2 million. This continues the trend of increasing
audiences in the country and follows a rise of 4.8
million last year. This is the second annual increase
in the country and follows a dramatic drop in overall
radio listening in India and a ban by Indian
regulators on local FM stations carrying news from
foreign broadcasters. This resulted in a drop of over
12 million listeners between 1995 and 2002.

Kenya 
There were rises in Kenya up 1.5 million to 6.0
million. This follows a drop last year of 2.1 million
listeners. 

NATIONAL RADIO AUDIENCE LOSSES 
Bangladesh 
Audiences fell in Bangladesh by 4.4 million to 8.6
million. This follows a rise of 2.6 million last year.
The BBC is working with Bangladesh National Radio to
develop FM distribution in Bangladesh.

Pakistan 
Audiences in Pakistan fell by 0.9 million to 8.5
million. BBC World Service is looking to develop local
FM partnerships to mitigate this loss. 

For further information: BBC World Service Press
Office Telephone: 0207 557 2941 
May 15, 2006 

Editor?s notes 

The new World Service global audience estimate is
derived from a comprehensive programme of independent
audience research over a four year cycle. This year?s
figure incorporates new data from 26 countries ? some
71 per cent of this year?s audience (some 66 per cent
of last year?s audience). 
It includes data on people listening to World Service
directly via short wave, MW, FM satellite, cable and
the internet or via local broadcasting partners on MW
and FM. The surveys are carried out by independent
market research groups and comply with international
standards of audience research. 
There is some crossover of audiences who use both
shortwave/medium wave and FM methods of listening. But
listeners who use more than one method of listening
are only counted once.  
The BBC World Service?s global audience figures over
recent years were: 120 million in 1992, 124m (1993),
130m (1994), 133m (1995), 140m (1996), 143m (1997),
138m (1998), 143m (1999), 151m (2000), 153m (2001),
150m (2002), 150m (2003), 146m (2004), and 149m
(2005). 
BBC World Service is funded through Grant-in-Aid from
the Foreign Office.  The grant for 2006/7 is £245
million. 
The BBC World Service broadcasts in 33 languages
including English. The other languages are: Albanian,
Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Caribbean-English,
Cantonese, French for Africa , Hausa, Hindi,
Indonesian, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Macedonian,
Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese for
Brazil, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali,
Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu,
Uzbek, and Vietnamese. 
Audiences for the 10 BBC language services (Bulgarian,
Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish,
Slovak, Slovene, and Thai) which ceased broadcasting
over the last six months due to reprioritisation, are
not part of the total. 
In the UK, World Service in English is available on
648 MW in south eastern England. In addition,
overnight on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Wales and BBC
Ulster and via digital radio, digital satellite and
the internet. The English Network can be heard on the
BBC?s digital multiplex in the UK, Freeview digital
channel 80 or in Europe on the Astra satellite,
channel 865. 
Outside the UK, BBC World Service is available on
short wave; on FM in 150 capital cities; and selected
programmes are carried on almost 2,000 FM and MW radio
stations around the world. 
High quality reception of World Service programmes is
available via satellite in Europe and North America. 
The BBC World Service website -
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice - contains extensive,
interactive news services available in English,
Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese for
Brazil, Russian, Spanish and Urdu with audiostreaming
available in 33 languages. It also contains detailed
information about World Service broadcasts, schedules
and frequencies in all languages. 

Mike Gardner 
Head of Media Relations and Public Affairs, BBC World
Service 
Tel: 020 7557 2937 
Fax: 020 7557 1912
++++++++++++++++++
Jaisakthivel
Chennai.

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