Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Press Releases Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Global News maintains record 233m audience

Category: World Service
Date: 10.06.2008
Printable version

For the second year in succession, the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's combined international news services attracted a global weekly audience of more than 233 million during 2007/8, according to independent surveys.

Ìý

The global audience figure for the combined services of Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service radio, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World News television and the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's international online news service, bbcnews.com, is up 23 million from 211 million two years ago.

Ìý

Many people used more than one service.

Ìý

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World News – the commercially funded international English language news and information television channel – now has estimated record audiences of 78 million viewers a week, up two million on 2006/7.

Ìý

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service's weekly radio audience estimate is 182Ìýmillion listeners a week across its 33 language services, down a million on last year's record 183 million total. However its English language service attracted 40 million weekly listeners, up two million on last year.

Ìý

The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's international-facing online news sites – which include bbcnews.com and the Webby Award-winning bbcworldservice.co.uk – attracted 13 million weekly unique users.

Ìý

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Global News Director Richard Sambrook said: "Maintaining the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's impact in this fiercely competitive global media marketplace for news services is a huge achievement.

Ìý

"We are also pleased that the quality of our programmes and services have been recognised this year with four gold Sony Awards for Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service radio programmes; a Webby for our online services and a prestigious Peabody Award for Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World News.

Ìý

"This demonstrates that people around the world still turn to the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú when they need quality news and information that is independent and trusted."

Ìý

Notes to Editors

• Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service broadcasts in 33 languages including English. The other languages are: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Burmese, Caribbean-English, Cantonese, French for Africa , Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Kinyarwanda/Kirundi, Kyrgyz, Macedonian, Mandarin, Nepali, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese for Brazil, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, and Vietnamese.
• In the UK, World Service in English is available on 648 MW in south eastern England. In addition, overnight on Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio 4, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Radio Wales and Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Ulster and via digital radio, digital satellite and the internet. The English Network can be heard on the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's digital multiplex in the UK, Freeview digital channel 80 or in Europe on the Astra satellite, channel 865.
• Outside the UK, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service is available on short wave; on FM in 154 capital cities; and selected programmes are carried on almost 2,000 FM and MW radio stations around the world.
• Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World News, the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's commercially funded international 24-hour news and informationÌýchannel, is owned and operated by Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Ltd, a member of the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú's commercial group of companies.Ìý Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World NewsÌýattracts 78 million viewers a week, is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and reaches 283Ìýmillion households and more than 1.5 million hotel rooms.ÌýThe channel's content isÌýalso availableÌýon 57 cruise ships, 42 airlines, 35Ìýmobile phone networks and a number of major online platforms including bbc.com/news.Ìý For further information on how to receive Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World News, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbcworld.com
• The new Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service global audience estimate is derived from a comprehensive programme of independent audience research over a four-year cycle. This year's figure incorporates new data from 20 countries - some 51 per cent of this year's audience.
• The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World News audience figure is compiled from multiple surveys (syndicated, omnibus and specifically commissioned) from over 100 countries.
• The surveys are carried out by independent market research groups and comply with international standards of audience research.

Ìý

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú World Service Press Office

Ìý