The worlds largest broadcasting network, BBC World News is proposing a 20% budget cut due to “a deal struck with UK government” (refer to Aljazeera News link). Whether this is an outcome of Europe’s bank crisis, or poor ratings, the real cause has not been clearly stated in this article. In January of this year, BBC laid off 650 employees as they cut 32 foreign language channels. After hearing this, I was quite disappointed not only because I finally bargained a PVR package with Telus that would give me 5 BBC channels, but also because I used to use the Hindi version of BBC world news to practice my Hindi reading skills as the headlines ran across the bottom of the screen. This just comes to show how a budget issue half way across the world can affect us in little mossy Vancouver. All I’m hoping now is that my weekly middle east business report will still show every Friday. As for these budget cuts, it was mentioned that it was cut from 5.4 down to 3.4 billion, not including their income from commercials. BBC’s marketing and accounting teams are going to have to get real close and comfortable with one another if they want this to work…

References:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/10/20111068747192481.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/europe/2011/01/2011126214521121205.html