Dr John Sentamu says cost-cutting could hit coverage of events such as the Egypt crisis, as director general defends cuts

The archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has expressed concern that cuts to the BBC World Service could lead to a "significant reduction" in coverage of global events.

Sentamu told the House of Lords on Wednesday that the World Service – which will lose 30 million listeners worldwide as part of planned cuts to its output – is a "gold standard for international affairs coverage overseas".

"Just look at the way the World Service has been covering the protests in Egypt, or the way it reports natural disasters or war," he said. "There is no one else providing the same level of insight for a global audience."

The BBC is being forced to save £46m from its £253m annual World Service budget following a 16% cut in funding from the government, with five language services to be axed and shortwave broadcasts curtailed.

World Service coverage across Europe and the Middle East will bear the brunt of the cuts. There will be about 650 job losses, more than 25% of World Service staff.

The BBC will have to find an extra £20m to pay for World Service restructuring and redundancy costs, according to today's edition of Broadcast magazine.

"[The World Service] has a unique ability to reach into a variety of situations overseas – often where democratic values and basic human rights are not being upheld," Sentamu said.

"My concern is that these cuts will not only mean redundancies for those living at home, but a significant reduction in service for those living overseas. We have a responsibility to reach out to others and ensure that the message of hope the BBC World Service can bring rings out as widely as possible."

The archbishop said he would raise his concerns with government ministers. "With the closure of language services in Azeri, Mandarin for China, Russian, Spanish for Cuba, Turkish, Vietnamese and Ukrainian, I wonder if we can really call it the 'World Service' any more," he added.

Mark Thompson, the BBC director general, was forced to defend the World Service cuts in the corporation's in-house magazine, Ariel, this week. Changes to the World Service's output was "deeply regrettable", Thompson said, describing them as "cuts we would rather not be making".

Thompson made the comments in response to an open letter published in Ariel from six assistant editors at the World Service, who expressed "dismay" at the way the institution had been "shabbily treated".

"We would like to express our dismay at the savage cuts to the World Service and the closure or part closure of important language services which appear to have been sacrificed for political expediency and we find it particularly ironic that you should call the process of cuts in the BBC 'Delivering Quality First'," the letter stated.


By:- Josh Halliday and Riazat Butt

Source:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/17/bbc-world-service-cuts