Ian YoungsCultural journalist
A committee of MPs has said it is “deeply troubled” by uncertainty over future government funding for the BBC World Service.
The government provides around 30% of the budget for the World Service, which reaches more than 300 million people a week and is “a jewel of the UK’s soft power”, according to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
However, its “importance is diminished by poor governance and short-sighted funding decisions”, said committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown.
The current funding deal between the BBC and the government expires at the end of this month and no new one is in place.
“The PAC was deeply disturbed to learn that the BBC still does not know how much the government will fund the World Service for the coming year,” the committee said in publishing a report on the service on Friday.
The BBC wants the government to take back responsibility for funding the entire World Service, as it did until 2014.
The government said the work of the World Service was “highly valued” and its next funding allocation would be made before the start of the new financial year in early April.
The committee of deputies operates separately from the government. Its report warns that the World Service “risks losing its position as the most trusted international broadcaster” due to a combination of funding difficulties and poor management by the BBC.
Sir Geoffrey said: “The Government and the BBC should think seriously about how the influence of the World Service can be strengthened around the world, rather than risk its reach gradually diminishing with each passing year. »
The World Service risks losing ground to rivals based in countries like Russia and China, which spend billions on their global media outlets, he said.
The BBC’s ability to plan for the long-term future of the World Service “is hampered by repeated short-term funding arrangements from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office” (FCDO), the report said.
This means the BBC risks making decisions based on “short-term budgetary pressures” rather than “long-term value for money”, he said.
The committee criticized the BBC, saying it had failed to present a clear case for maintaining government funding.
There were also “weaknesses in BBC governance” of the service, and the BBC’s management of the World Service’s digital transformation had weaknesses that contributed to a decline in digital audiences, the report said.
The committee stressed that it “must both remember and commend all BBC employees working in countries where they and their families are at risk of imprisonment or worse”.
“Talking is cheap”
In a speech on Thursday, BBC director general Tim Davie called on the government to invest more in the World Service at a time when Russia, China and Iran are “investing billions in propaganda”.
“I’m hard-pressed to think of anyone who doesn’t agree when I say the service is needed now more than ever,” he said. “But talking costs nothing. We need action.”
At another point in his speech, Davie said: “When it comes to World Service, we are very clear: we believe the government should take over its full funding, as it has done for over 80 years. »
A BBC spokesperson said: “We welcome the PAC report which recognizes the importance of the BBC World Service as the world’s most trusted provider of international news, and the need for secure, long-term funding.
“That’s why we’re calling on the government to take back full funding for the World Service as part of the BBC charter review.
“We are making changes to strengthen how we demonstrate value for money and to improve governance and documentation.
“We thank the committee for its praise of our staff working in difficult and dangerous conditions and will respond more fully in line with its recommendations.”
FCDO Minister Chris Elmore MP said: “The work carried out by World Service as an independent and trusted broadcaster, showcasing the UK, our culture and values around the world, is highly valued by this Government.
“Grant funding for the next three years for the World Service will be decided through the FCDO allocation process.
“Final overall FCDO Global Service allocations will be made before the start of the 2026/27 financial year.”