BBC to Relocate its Tamil Language Service”Thamizhosai”From London to New Delhi

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BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

NEW DELHI, July 20: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is moving its popular Tamil language service from London to New Delhi.

It will be relocated with the BBC Hindi service, according to new plans announced to cut costs until 2017.

A BBC World Service spokesman said in London: “In India, BBC Tamil has a growing audience, and we believe that relocating the team with BBC Hindi will benefit audiences.”

BBC Hindi successfully relocated to Delhi and has achieved digital and TV growth.

Introduced in 1941, BBC Tamil is heard by Tamils in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of the globe where Tamil diaspora lives.

“BBC Tamil will be focusing on improving its offer for Tamil audiences in India. Of course, it will continue to serve the Tamil audience in Sri Lanka and the diaspora. As part of this move, we propose to close Tamil posts in London and open new ones in Delhi,” the spokesman added.

The BBC’s plans, revealed last week to cut 415 jobs, have been criticised by Britain’s National Union of Journalists. Its Secretary General Michelle Stanistreet said: “These cuts will further undermine the ability of journalists to deliver quality content. We will fight to ensure that there are no compulsory redundancies at the BBC.”

The plans include an increase in the budget for the World Service from 245 million Pounds this year to 250 million Pounds in 2016-17, an eight-million-pound investment in original, distinctive journalism, chasing “big stories,: and reintroducing a controller for the World Service in English.

The BBC News currently enploys around 8,400 people, including around 5,000 journalists, based in London, around the UK and overseas.

A total of 195 new posts will be created to fulfil new plans for the digital age, which means a net reduction of 220 full-time jobs overall.

The BBC World Service broadcasts news in English and 27 other languages, including Tamil, Sinhala, Hindi, Urdu and Arabic. It has an estimated audience of nearly 190 million across the globe.

Courtesy:The Island