Tag Archives: BBC World Service

BBC strike next week

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BBC journalists have announced that they will strike next week in protest of the mandatory lay-offs/redundancies which will greatly reduce the BBC World Service staff.

(Source: Journalism.co.uk)

Journalists at the BBC have announced they will take strike action next week in a dispute over compulsory redundancies.

Members of the National Union of Journalists voted in favour of strike action earlier this week, with 72 per cent of those who voted saying they would be prepared to strike.

According to the NUJ, more than 100 people are at risk of compulsory redundancy at the BBC World Service.

Union members are also said to be at risk in divisions including BBC Monitoring, BBC Scotland and potentially at BBC Wales, BBC 4, BBC Sport and TV Current Affairs.

Today the union confirmed a one-day walk out will take place on 15 July.

Read full article at Journalism.co.uk.

BBC World Service annual broadcast to Antarctica

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(Thanks to Andy Sennitt for bringing this to my attention.)

This year, it’s difficult for me appreciate the annual tradition of broadcasting to the 43 scientists and technicians at the British Antarctic Survey in light of the recent BBC World Service cuts. Still, the broadcast is quirky, nostalgic and certainly DX worth catching.

Here are the times/frequencies courtesy of RNW Media Network:

This half-hour programme will be on the air at 2130-2200 UTC tomorrow (Tuesday 21 June) on the following shortwave frequencies:

  • 5950 kHz  Skelton 300 kW beam 180 degrees
  • 7295 kHz  Rampisham 500 kW  beam 180 degrees
  • 7360 kHz  Ascension 250 kW beam 207 degrees
  • 9850 kHz  Skelton 300 kW beam 180 degrees

Read RNW Media Network’s full article on the broadcast here.

The BBC World Service to keep Hindi broadcasts

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BBC World Service - Bush House

According to MSN India, British Members of Parliament have decided that they cannot allow cuts to BBC WS broadcasts in Hindi to India as India is a growing economic power and partner with the UK. Hmmm…I wonder if the BBC WS or VOA will reconsider broadcasting to China for the same reasons?

Andy Sennitt posted the new BBC WS broadcast schedule to India:

  • 0100-0130 UTC on 6065, 9425, 11995, 13745, 15510 kHz
  • 0230-0300 UTC on 11995, 15660, 17510, 17655 kHz
  • 1400-1500 UTC on 1413, 7565, 9685, 11795, 15470 kHz
  • 1700-1730 UTC on 1413, 5910, 7460, 9605, 11740 kHz

Thanks to Kim Elliott for bringing this to my attention.

Radio Documentary: The Wireless World of Gerry Wells

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I just discovered (via PRI’s The World Technology Podcast) a 2010 radio documentary about lifelong radio designer and repairman, Gerry Wells.

If you haven’t heard it before, I suggest you drop what you’re doing and give it a listen below. This is the most charming radio doc I’ve ever heard out of the BBC World Service.

For archival purposes, I have a full copy of the radio doc available for download by clicking here.

Again, a special thanks to Clark Boyd with PRI’s The World for bringing this to my attention.

BBC World Service budget cut by 20%

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The BBC Bush house

This is a sad week for fans and listeners of the BBC World Service.

According to news reports, the British Foreign Office has cut BBC’s World Service budget by 20%, resulting in sweeping reductions in their shortwave service. As many as 650 jobs will be lost by 2014 and cancellation of shortwave service in five languages and several countries. It appears they are cutting SW service to China, Cuba and the Balkans, instead relying on mobile phone & internet access (note that according to Keith Perron, the BBCWS Chinese site has been blocked for 10 years and in Cuba less than 1% of the population have access to the internet).

My real fear is that listeners who rely on the BBC WS via shortwave–those who live in rural, impoverished countries, for example–will have no voice to express the loss of a lifeline of information to them. It’s quite easy for us to forget that the internet and mobile technologies have not yet penetrated these “markets” and that shortwave radio is the most effective and affordable means to receive high-quality news and information.

As The Guardian put it, the BBC WS will be “eclipsed” by Voice of America. I certainly hope that the VOA can give its markets better service stability.

More on the BBC World Service cuts:

Thanks to Kim Elliot, Keith Perron and BernieS for their commentary.

BBC World Service using wind power

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(Thanks to Kim Elliot for this item.)

A key BBC World Service transmission site on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic has embraced on-site wind power with the assistance of sustainability consultancy AEA, which was commissioned to investigate renewable power options to replace ageing technology at the site.

The new hybrid wind/diesel power station is expected to save approximately £500,000 (US$803,000) a year on the diesel fuel that previously had to be shipped to the island, and reduce the frequency of tanker-supplied diesel fuel deliveries to 18 monthly intervals.

The location and nature of Ascension Island made the project particularly challenging – the island is volcanic and has no deepwater port.

However, since the turbines have been in operation they have generated in the region of 205 MWh of electricity a month – offsetting approximately 58,000 litres of diesel.

(Source: Power-Gen Worldwide Press Release)