BBC wins funding for Persian TV news service

LONDON - The BBC World Service has secured an extra £70m in government funding, allowing it to go ahead with the launch of a TV news channel for Iran in the Farsi language and expand its Arabic news service.

The increased funding from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, announced in Parliament by the Chancellor Alistair Darling, will mean the annual World Service budget increases from £246m today to £271m by 2011.

A Farsi-language TV news service for Iran, which was given the green light by the Treasury last October, will receive £15m a year in government funding. It will initially broadcast for eight hours a day, between 5pm and 1am local time.

The BBC's new £19m-a-year Arabic television service has been given an extra £6m a year to allow it to broadcast around the clock instead of the 12 hours a day originally planned.

The BBC's Arabic and Farsi services, due to launch next year, will be the first television news services to be launched by the corporation in more than 10 years, and the first TV services to be publicly funded by the FCO.

Nigel Chapman, director of the BBC World Service, said: "This settlement strengthens BBC World Service's future as a multimedia provider of high quality independent and impartial news and information around the world. This is a good settlement for the BBC World Service.

"It specifically means that audiences in the Middle East and Iran will have multi-media access, through television, radio, and online, to trusted journalism of the highest standing and increased opportunity for dialogue and debate.

"We believe this will be a popular and valuable asset for audiences in this troubled region."

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content