[Swprograms] Re: [dxld] Why is BBC World Service reducing its short wave provision?

[John Figliozzi <jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Mike.

To be fair, please re-read what I said.  I used the words "more and 
more".  Certainly, I don't think that CRI's commitment to public 
service broadcasting principles with respect to the way it reports the 
news is at or near the BBC's level at this point.  But if one looks at 
where CRI and its predecessors were just a short time ago and where CRI 
is now, there is a qualitative and quantitative improvement. While I 
agree that CRI falls woefully short on reporting on problems within the 
country, I've observed that there are an increasing number of reports 
and features on CRI that do point out problems like pollution, poverty 
and joblessness in the cities, disagreements among domestic experts, 
and unrest among some social groups and classes. I think that this can 
be said to a trend, but we can disagree on that.

Another aspect of those public service broadcasting principles, 
however, is a desire to serve as many audiences and audience segments 
as possible.  By their respective recent actions in this regard, CRI is 
demonstrating a far greater commitment to that effort than the BBC has 
of late.  The BBC makes much of its desire to serve elites--"opinion 
formers" is the word their publicity uses I believe.  And its service 
approach appears to reflect that view.  Shortwave listeners--even those 
who have been a loyal component of the Beeb's audience for decades--are 
deemed expendable.  "If you want us, move--but we couldn't care less 
one way or the other because the fact that you use shortwave must mean 
that you are not an 'opinion former'". Of course, they'll say it much 
nicer than that--but listen to Write On next weekend and tell me you 
don't hear echoes of what I just said in their replies to listener 
complaints.  "We're right and you're wrong" will be the subtext "and 
we're not changing course."

OTOH, CRI seems to believe that any segment of the target population 
has the capacity to either be or become an "opinion former".  So its 
approach is to use all the distribution methods at its service.  CRI's 
hours on shortwave to NA and everywhere else is up, as is its internet, 
satellite and local placement efforts.  Is the quality of its 
programming as high as the BBC's?  No, not close.  But it is improving. 
  And what good is the quality of your programming if people can't 
access it conveniently or in the manner they are most likely and easily 
to use?

This is not a matter of money.  The WS is swimming in it and its budget 
has gone up annually by huge amounts of late.  It's a matter of 
choices.  On that score, the BBC can be criticized and it should be.

John



On Sunday, March 20, 2005, at 08:46  AM, Mike Barraclough wrote:

>
>> John Figliozzi <jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
>> I'm sure the rather smug management at Bush House will chuckle at all
>> this and shrug it off.  But I wouldn't be surprised if, while the BBC
>> is dithering and dicing up audiences, CRI begins to eat the BBC's 
>> lunch
>> in North America.  Call it "Old Europe Makes Way for New Asia".  While
>> the BBC steadily abandons and discards the public service broadcasting
>> principles it historically created, perfected and nurtured, CRI seems
>> to--more and more--be embracing those very principles.
>
> Which public service broadcasting principles is CRI embracing???
>
> It is the propaganda arm of the Chinese Communist Party. The Party 
> restricts
> its citizens access to foreign media by jamming and blocking internet 
> sites.
> CRI journalists are restricted in what they are able to report.
>
> Demonstrations against the party elite, in particular corruption by 
> local
> officials, are becoming more widespread. The State Constitution allows
> people to be arrested for vaguely worded actions against the state and
> denies them a fair trial. It routinely uses torture. Check the Amnesty
> International or Human Rights Watch sites for many examples. There will
> doubtless be many more that are unreported. You will not hear about 
> this on
> CRI. It does not serve the public, it serves the Party.
>
> The BBC on the other hand will report on criticism of UK government 
> policies
> and UK breaches of human rights, for example in the treatment of 
> prisioners
> in Iraq.
>
> As to the Rumsfeldesque "Old Europe makes way for New Asia" comparison
> well I prefer to live in an Old European culture which respects human 
> rights
> and to have a domestic and international public service broadcaster 
> which is
> independent of any government party line.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
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