Tin từ nghiệp đòan Ký Giả Anh Quốc vừa phổ biến bản tin cho biết, họ
lên án việc cắt giảm ngân sách của chính phủ Anh đối với Thế Giới Vụ
đài BBC bắt đầu từ tài khóa năm tới 5.4.2011. Nghiệp đòan sợ rằng các
Ban tiếng Macedonian, Serbian, Moldovan và ban tiếng Việt sẽ bị đóng
cửa hòan tòan.
Chính phủ Anh dự tính sẽ cắt giảm từ 25 đến 40% tức khỏang 300 triệu
bảng của Thế Giới Vụ sẽ dẫn đến cắt giảm các dịch vụ và nhân viên đang
phục vụ khắp nơi trên thế giới khỏang 2 ngàn người, phát thanh bằng 32
ngôn ngữ khác nhau với các thông tín viên và biên tập viên riêng.
Thế Giới Vụ được tài trợ trực tiếp từ Bộ Ngọai Giao Anh (Foreign and
Commonweath Office) khác với các nghiệp vụ BBC khác được lấy từ tiền
sử dụng truyền hình của người dân (TV Licence).
Ông Peter Horrocks, giám đốc Ban Tin Tức thế giới của BBC Thế Giới Vụ
vừa thông báo đến tòan thể nhân viên rằng việc tái bố trí lại cơ cấu
Thế Giới Vụ là cần thiết để tăng cường hiệu năng thông tin và phuơng
cách làm việc chung với nhau sẽ hiệu quả hơn để tiết kiệm ngân sách.
Chỉ còn một tuần nữa Chính Phủ sẽ chính thức thông báo việc cắt giảm
này nhưng việc công bố tin tức hôm nay là cần thiết.
Được hỏi về sự kiện có thể đóng cửa Ban Việt Ngữ đài BBC, ông Vũ Khánh
Thành, cựu Nghị Viên thành phố Hackney London, nơi có đông người Việt
nhất tại Anh sinh sống, ông phát biểu rằng, “đó là một tin đáng buồn
cho người Việt Nam cả trong nước lẫn hải ngọai vì đài BBC từ hơn 50
năm qua đã như là nguồn tin đáng tin cậy nhất cho người Việt. Nhưng
rất tiếc những năm gần đây chính trị đi vào thì công chính đội nón ra
đi. Ban Việt Ngữ đài BBC đã làm mất niền tin của dân chúng Việt Nam.
Cụ thể nhất là sự kiện “Đỗ Ngọc Bích” mạ lị tổ tiên Việt do Nguyễn
Giang trưởng ban Việt Ngữ đài BBC đạo diễn đã gây phẫn nộ trong cộng
đồng Việt Nam từ trong nước đến hải ngọai. Hàng ngàn lá thư phản đối
đã gửi đến đài BBC nhưng không được trả lời. Phải chăng ban lãnh đạo
BBC để đến thời điểm này xóa xổ hẳn ban Việt Ngữ BBC ? Một mặt khác
với phương tiện truyền thông hiện tại, tin tức đến từ nhiều nguồn khác
nhau, bản tin BBC không trung thực, không phong phú như các báo đài,
các trang mạng khác, tất nhiên sẽ bị đào thải.”
NUJ condemns plans to cut World Service budget
19 October 2010
By Press Gazette reporters
The National Union of Journalists has condemned the Government’s
rumoured plans to cut the budget of the BBC World Service from next
year as part of its comprehensive spending review, which is being
revealed tomorrow.
The union said it feared that cuts of between 25-40 per cent of the
World Service’s near £300m annual budget were likely to lead to
service closures and significant redundancies in the UK and across the
globe.
The Guardian reports today that the BBC is facing an overall cut of
£556m to its £3.7bn a year licence fee income by being forced to fund
the cost of free TV licences for the over-75s. It also reveals that
BBC director general, Mark Thompson, is prepared to assume part of the
World Service cost as a compromise measure.
The NUJ said it feared the Macedonian; Serbian, Vietnamese and
Moldovan language services may close entirely or be drastically cut
while the Ukrainian and Russian services could be based solely in
those countries with the Russian radio serviced closed by the end of
the year.
Journalism jobs were expected to go from the BBC World Service
newsroom in London, the union said, with further cuts and
restructuring expected across the Turkish TV service, the Central
Asian and Bengali services, the Spanish American service and the
Arabic service.
The union also claimed that cuts have been proposed for the BBC
Monitoring Service based in Caversham which could impact on 300-350
jobs in the UK and 150 jobs overseas.
Jeremy Dear, NUJ General Secretary said: “The BBC World Service
employs more than 2,000 people and a significant proportion are based
outside of the UK and spread across 45 countries.
“The diversity of staff and presence in so many locations around the
world helps make the BBC World Service the leading voice in
international broadcasting.”
“At its best the World Service challenges corruption, expose human
rights abuses and promote democratic values.
“The World Service is a vital source of quality journalism; people all
over the world rely on the BBC to tell them the truth in times of
crisis.
“If the Government slashes these essential services they will land a
blow on objective news reporting and undermine Britain’s international
reputation.”
Currently the World Service is paid for out of the budget of the
Foreign Office but as the Coalition Government is set to slash the
amount of money the service receives as it seeks huge public sector
savings as part of its comprehensive spending review.
BBC World Service could shed 1,000 jobs in spending review
By Neil Midgley, Assistant Editor (Media)
Telegraph
Published: 12:01AM BST 15 Oct 2010
Staff at the BBC World Service are bracing themselves for up to 1,000
job losses, as the broadcaster prepares to lose up to 40 per cent of
its budget in next week’s Coalition spending review.
Unlike the BBC’s domestic services, the World Service is funded not
out of the TV licence fee but from a £272million annual grant-in-aid
from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Though the World Service is not expected to be abolished completely in
next week’s announcement from the chancellor, George Osborne, the FCO
has asked the BBC for budgets reflecting either a 25 per cent or a 40
per cent cut.
Employees fear that this will translate into the loss of between a
quarter and a half the World Service’s 2,017 jobs. The World Service
broadcasts around the world in 32 languages including Russian, Persian
and Hindi.
“It looks as if whole services will close, not just one or two jobs
going from here and one or two from there,” said a source. “And the
potential for redeployment of staff is lower within the World Service
than at the rest of the BBC – you can’t transfer a Polish speaker to
the Urdu service.”
It is possible that, as part of the cuts, the BBC Monitoring Unit will
close completely and that there will be deep cuts to the Arabic
service. Other language services could stop being broadcast by
traditional radio and move to being internet-only, reflecting the
greater use of computers and mobile phones among the World Service’s
audience.
However a BBC management source cautioned against prejudging the
outcome of the ongoing and complex negotiations, which include the
Treasury and No10 as well as the BBC and the FCO.
Peter Horrocks, the director of BBC Global News, which includes the
World Service, emailed his staff this week to warn them that
restructuring is imminent. “Why are we announcing these changes now,
when spending decisions are just a week away?” he said. “Firstly,
these changes are needed to get Global News working together more
effectively, whatever the settlement for BBC World Service. But the
new roles will also help us to deliver the savings that will
undoubtedly be required from us.
“Over the next few weeks, [BBC Global News managers] will be working
with those directly affected by the proposals. I will then be sharing
with you all the final outcome of these discussions and the detail of
the final structure with which we will move forward.”
A BBC spokesman said: “BBC World Service is engaging with the Foreign
& Commonwealth Office as part of the Government’s 2010 spending
review, which is due to conclude in mid-October. Like all publicly
funded bodies, we have been asked to consider the likely impact of
significant funding cuts and applying them to a wide range of
scenarios.
“It is important to note that no decisions have been made; and we will
discuss any confirmed impact on our services with staff first. We will
continue to argue confidently that BBC World Service is one of
Britain’s most effective and vital assets in the global arena;
particularly at a time when other governments are increasing, not
reducing, their own investments in international broadcasting.”
