91Èȱ¬

Press Releases 91Èȱ¬ Global News maintains record 233m audience

Category: World Service
Date: 10.06.2008
Printable version

For the second year in succession, the 91Èȱ¬'s combined international news services attracted a global weekly audience of more than 233 million during 2007/8, according to independent surveys.

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The global audience figure for the combined services of 91Èȱ¬ World Service radio, 91Èȱ¬ World News television and the 91Èȱ¬'s international online news service, bbcnews.com, is up 23 million from 211 million two years ago.

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Many people used more than one service.

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91Èȱ¬ World News – the commercially funded international English language news and information television channel – now has estimated record audiences of 78 million viewers a week, up two million on 2006/7.

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91Èȱ¬ World Service's weekly radio audience estimate is 182Ìýmillion listeners a week across its 33 language services, down a million on last year's record 183 million total. However its English language service attracted 40 million weekly listeners, up two million on last year.

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The 91Èȱ¬'s international-facing online news sites – which include bbcnews.com and the Webby Award-winning bbcworldservice.co.uk – attracted 13 million weekly unique users.

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91Èȱ¬ Global News Director Richard Sambrook said: "Maintaining the 91Èȱ¬'s impact in this fiercely competitive global media marketplace for news services is a huge achievement.

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"We are also pleased that the quality of our programmes and services have been recognised this year with four gold Sony Awards for 91Èȱ¬ World Service radio programmes; a Webby for our online services and a prestigious Peabody Award for 91Èȱ¬ World News.

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"This demonstrates that people around the world still turn to the 91Èȱ¬ when they need quality news and information that is independent and trusted."

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Notes to Editors

• 91Èȱ¬ 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.
• In the UK, World Service in English is available on 648 MW in south eastern England. In addition, overnight on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 4, 91Èȱ¬ Radio Wales and 91Èȱ¬ Ulster and via digital radio, digital satellite and the internet. The English Network can be heard on the 91Èȱ¬'s digital multiplex in the UK, Freeview digital channel 80 or in Europe on the Astra satellite, channel 865.
• Outside the UK, 91Èȱ¬ World Service is available on short wave; on FM in 154 capital cities; and selected programmes are carried on almost 2,000 FM and MW radio stations around the world.
• 91Èȱ¬ World News, the 91Èȱ¬'s commercially funded international 24-hour news and informationÌýchannel, is owned and operated by 91Èȱ¬ World Ltd, a member of the 91Èȱ¬'s commercial group of companies.Ìý 91Èȱ¬ World NewsÌýattracts 78 million viewers a week, is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, and reaches 283Ìýmillion households and more than 1.5 million hotel rooms.ÌýThe channel's content isÌýalso availableÌýon 57 cruise ships, 42 airlines, 35Ìýmobile phone networks and a number of major online platforms including bbc.com/news.Ìý For further information on how to receive 91Èȱ¬ World News, download schedules or find out more about the channel, visit bbcworld.com
• The new 91Èȱ¬ World Service global audience estimate is derived from a comprehensive programme of independent audience research over a four-year cycle. This year's figure incorporates new data from 20 countries - some 51 per cent of this year's audience.
• The 91Èȱ¬ World News audience figure is compiled from multiple surveys (syndicated, omnibus and specifically commissioned) from over 100 countries.
• The surveys are carried out by independent market research groups and comply with international standards of audience research.

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91Èȱ¬ World Service Press Office

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