PRESS RELEASE BBC World Service audiences hit all-time record levels
BBC World Service now attracts 163 million weekly radio listeners to its 33 language services a record audience for the worlds best-known and most respected international broadcaster, according to figures announced today (Monday, May 15). The new weekly audience figure, compiled from independent surveys around the globe, is an increase of 14 million on last years figure of 149 million. The new figure equates to around 50 per cent more listeners than any comparable international broadcaster. This new figure smashes the previous BBC World Service record audience of 153 million in 2001. BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman says: This record-breaking audience is an outstanding achievement against the background of fierce competition, fast-developing technology and rapidly changing audience demands in many media markets. The challenges ahead for BBC World Service remain formidable, as they do for all broadcasters, but this is a strong and welcome indication that we are not only strengthening our impact in priority areas but are flourishing in the multimedia age. More BBC radio in worlds capital cities Over 10 million extra listeners are listening on the higher quality audibility of FM through partner stations and the BBCs own relays around the world. BBC World Service is now available on high quality FM sound in a record 150 capital cities out of a total of around 190 up from 145 last year. Shortwave and medium wave listening also showed an increase of around five million, particularly in rural areas in parts of East Africa and S E Asia (Burma, India and Nepal) which are among priority areas for BBC World Service. Overall audience to all the BBCs global news services The BBC World Service audience figure contributes to a combined record global weekly audience of over 210 million individuals to all the BBCs international news services BBC World Service radio, BBC World television and the international-facing online news service bbcnews.com; some of whom are using all three media. This combined figure includes a record 65 million weekly viewers for BBC World the commercially-funded international television news channel. New Media Online audiences to the BBCs international facing news sites have also shown significant rises. The sites attracted around 500 million page impressions a month in March 2006 compared to 324 million page impressions in March 2005. This is a rise of over 50 per cent over the year. The site now attracts around 33 million unique users each month; up from around 21 million unique users a year ago. SIGNIFICANT RADIO AUDIENCE CHANGES INCLUDE: English language network Global audiences to BBC World Service English language broadcasts have risen to 42 million, up from 39 million last year. Regional increases BBC World Services audiences in Africa and the Middle East are now 73.6 million up 7.6million. An even bigger increase of 7.9 million BBC radio listeners was recorded in the Asia & Pacific Region of the world which now has 61.1 million in total. NATIONAL RADIO AUDIENCE GAINS Burma Measured audiences in Burma rose by 6.7 million listeners to 7.1 million. This rise is as a result of improved access for the independent survey takers, who are now able to measure audiences nationwide rather than sample cities. Nigeria BBC services in Nigeria gained 3.6 million listeners, raising the total to 23.8 million. This figure means the BBC has more than regained the 1.5 million listeners it lost last year after a Government ban on local FM stations rebroadcasting news programmes from foreign broadcasters in 2004. Listeners have turned to shortwave broadcasts, as the ban is still in place. Tanzania Listeners to the Swahili Service in Tanzania rose by 2.7 million to 12.9 million. This follows a drop of 1.3 million last year. Nepal There was an increase in listeners to the BBC Nepalese service of 2.6 million to 3.7 million, fuelled by recent events. Indonesia Audiences in Indonesia rose again. There are now 6.4 million listeners - a rise of two million. This follows a rise of 1.2 million listeners last year. India There are now 17.6 million listeners in India a rise of 1.2 million. This continues the trend of increasing audiences in the country and follows a rise of 4.8 million last year. This is the second annual increase in the country and follows a dramatic drop in overall radio listening in India and a ban by Indian regulators on local FM stations carrying news from foreign broadcasters. This resulted in a drop of over 12 million listeners between 1995 and 2002. Kenya There were rises in Kenya up 1.5 million to 6.0 million. This follows a drop last year of 2.1 million listeners. NATIONAL RADIO AUDIENCE LOSSES Bangladesh Audiences fell in Bangladesh by 4.4 million to 8.6 million. This follows a rise of 2.6 million last year. The BBC is working with Bangladesh National Radio to develop FM distribution in Bangladesh. Pakistan Audiences in Pakistan fell by 0.9 million to 8.5 million. BBC World Service is looking to develop local FM partnerships to mitigate this loss. For further information: BBC World Service Press Office Telephone: 0207 557 2941 May 15, 2006 Editors notes The new World Service global audience estimate is derived from a comprehensive programme of independent audience research over a four year cycle. This years figure incorporates new data from 26 countries some 71 per cent of this years audience (some 66 per cent of last years audience). It includes data on people listening to World Service directly via short wave, MW, FM satellite, cable and the internet or via local broadcasting partners on MW and FM. The surveys are carried out by independent market research groups and comply with international standards of audience research. There is some crossover of audiences who use both shortwave/medium wave and FM methods of listening. But listeners who use more than one method of listening are only counted once. The BBC World Services global audience figures over recent years were: 120 million in 1992, 124m (1993), 130m (1994), 133m (1995), 140m (1996), 143m (1997), 138m (1998), 143m (1999), 151m (2000), 153m (2001), 150m (2002), 150m (2003), 146m (2004), and 149m (2005). BBC World Service is funded through Grant-in-Aid from the Foreign Office. The grant for 2006/7 is £245 million. The BBC 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. Audiences for the 10 BBC language services (Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, and Thai) which ceased broadcasting over the last six months due to reprioritisation, are not part of the total. In the UK, World Service in English is available on 648 MW in south eastern England. In addition, overnight on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Ulster and via digital radio, digital satellite and the internet. The English Network can be heard on the BBCs digital multiplex in the UK, Freeview digital channel 80 or in Europe on the Astra satellite, channel 865. Outside the UK, BBC World Service is available on short wave; on FM in 150 capital cities; and selected programmes are carried on almost 2,000 FM and MW radio stations around the world. High quality reception of World Service programmes is available via satellite in Europe and North America. The BBC World Service website - www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice - contains extensive, interactive news services available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Persian, Portuguese for Brazil, Russian, Spanish and Urdu with audiostreaming available in 33 languages. It also contains detailed information about World Service broadcasts, schedules and frequencies in all languages. Mike Gardner Head of Media Relations and Public Affairs, BBC World Service Tel: 020 7557 2937 Fax: 020 7557 1912 ++++++++++++++++++ Jaisakthivel Chennai. Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- World Radio TV Handbook 2006 is out. 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