Alban Webb, a CRESC OU Research Fellow, was among speakers at a Commonwealth Journalists' Association meeting on 'BBC World Service: Death by a Thousand Cuts?

Alban explored the new funding arrangements for the BBC World Service. For nearly 80 years this has been broadcasting across the globe, representing Britain, facilitating global conversations, mediating cultures, building bridges and providing lifeline news and information services. Since the Second World War this has been done at the British tax-payer's expense through a Parliamentary Grant-in-Aid administered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The current arrangement is about to change. In the government's Comprehensive Spending Review in October it was announced that the cost of overseas broadcasting – currently £272m per annum – would be transferred to to the BBC Licence Fee. So what does this mean? What are its implications? And has due consideration been given to the implications and consequences of this revolution for broadcaster, government and audiences?

For more details of Alban Webb's contribution, please visit http://www.open.ac.uk/platform/blogs/academic.