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It is an institution in the United Kingdom: the BBC, public radio/television: 8 television channels, 10 radio stations, around twenty local branches… international department.
With our correspondent in London, Emeline Vin
Management suggests cutting 382 jobs at the BBC World Service, the international service. Officially, this is to strengthen the digital offer. In practice, this amounts to a reduction in the radio offer.
Consequence of the plan announced on Thursday: 10 foreign language antennas will stop broadcasting, including BBC in Urdu, Persian and Arabic, some television news will be either 100% online, in Yoruba for example, or deleted, like Somali.
These plans must be negotiated with the unions: the BBC does not yet give an implementation date. The proposals are expected to save nearly £30m a year. A necessity, according to management, after the announcement by the government of the freezing of the audiovisual license fee. And therefore BBC revenue.
One of the unions says it understands the budgetary restrictions, but is worried about the weakening of the influence of the “Beebs” and therefore of British soft-power.