Summary
The BBC World Service has transformed its services and ways of working, and reduced its costs, while increasing its audience. Despite its success, there is scope for improvement. The targets set for the Service have not been sufficiently rigorous and the amount of information available publicly on the Service’s performance has reduced. The Service faces a new challenge to expand, using the allocation of an extra £289 million from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and to demonstrate the agility needed to respond to a rapidly changing world. However, the accountability arrangements for the new funding are still unclear more than six months after it was announced and it is not yet clear whether this new funding will continue beyond 2020. The Service also needs to clarify its plans for maximising its commercial income, while maintaining its editorial integrity.
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14 September 2016