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Re: [Swprograms] Does the BBC World Service fail Britain?
- Subject: Re: [Swprograms] Does the BBC World Service fail Britain?
- From: "Richard Cuff" <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 09:09:04 -0400
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The reason I flagged the letter is that it focused specifically on the
lack of content *about* Britain on the World Service, and that
resonated with me.
If one looks to the World Service of the 1980s, there was a
thrice-weekly program called "Network UK" that focused on events in
Britain and British culture. It was somewhat similar to today's
"Outlook" but didn't have the emphasis on the arts that Outlook often
has.
There was also a program called "News About Britain" that ran 15
minutes a couple times per day that enabled the listener to hear
domestic news with enough background to inform a global audience.
In 2008, the World Service continues to deemphasize the UK in its
programming, and I believe that's a loss to those of us who listen to
shortwave radio -- er, make that international broadcasters -- in
order to learn about other countries and their perspectives.
Regarding expats, they certainly were an historical target audience of
the World Service; the advertisements in the World Service
publications "On Air" and, before that, "London Calling" touted
offshore investment schemes and health insurance programs that
specifically appealed to expats living overseas.
Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA USA
On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 2:30 AM, Mike Barraclough
<softbulletin1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Why has this letter from one individual reader of the right wing press any particular significance?
>
> It's in response to this:
>
> Sir – The BBC has withdrawn the World Service from most European countries, including France, where many thousands of Britons live.
>
> How does the BBC reconcile making an overseas service more readily available to Britons who are not overseas, as it has done, while withdrawing it from Britons who really are overseas?
>
> Philip Perkins, Ramsbury, Wiltshire
>
> The BBC World Service never was a service for ex-patriates who don't pay for it. And of course it hasn't withdrawn it, it's available on several platforms. Mr. Perkins also ignores the fact that BBC World Service does broadcast in languages other than English.
>
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