Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

BBC cuts radio in 10 languages to fund Arabic television, expanded Web services | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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LONDON, AP- The BBC World Service was expected to announce Tuesday plans to launch an Arabic language television channel and expanded new media services such as online video news bulletins in various languages, the Guardian and the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

The reports said the new services require at least 25 million pounds (US$44 million, ¤37 million) from within the BBC”s current 239 million pound (US$425 million, ¤353 million) budget, requiring reallocations that will cut radio broadcast service in 10 languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene and Thai.

Staff were to be informed of the changes at midday, said

BBC spokeswoman Katie Byrne.