BBC External Services: Budget cut-backs threaten a much-needed service

BBC broadcasters, (clockwise from top left), Vikar Ahmed, Kailash Budhwar, Nurul Islam, Onkar Srivastava, Sirajur Rahman, Himanshu Bhaduri, Talega Rahman and ShankaramurthiAt about the time the first rays of the Indian sun call the farmer to his fields another voice beckons him further beyond his two bighas. "YehBBC London hai," a faint voice announces over the cheap radio set enticing him into a world of international news, science, discoveries and, if he has a mind for such things, culture.The faint voice speaking shudh Hindi emanates from Bush House, a large building in central London flanked by the Australian and Indian High Commissions. From this pseudo-Grecian office building the BBC External Services broadcasts in 39 languages: under a new Conservative government directive, seven of them (including Somali, Maltese and Burmese) will have to close down permanently.This year the BBC celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Hindi, Bengali and Tamil services. The BBC opened a service in Hindustani in 1941 to transmit messages to Indian troops stationed abroad. Soon after it became an official service under the guidance of Z.A. Bokhari (later to become director-general of Pakistan Radio). Today the Eastern Service comprises Persian, Burmese, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, Nepali and Pushtu language services."What the BBC External Services seeks to do is to reflect to the world what the British think of it," explains Jim Norris, chief of the Eastern Service. The non-English services are important, says Norris, "because we cannot assume that people who listen to the English language broadcasts are necessarily the opinion makers or the leaders of a country." Mr Middle India is therefore the target of the Indian language services.Recruitment: Kailash Budhwar, who coordinates the Hindi broadcasts and is the first Asian administrator, was an actor and teacher before he came to broadcasting. A member of the well-known Prithvi Theatre group, he later taught at the Sainik school in Karnal. Budhwar believes that the average Indian "has a natural human craving to get authentic news". Says Budhwar: "In many developing countries news is modified or tampered with. I feel that here in the BBC we have a kind of aid programme. We can't send tractors or machines but we can provide them with authentic news and information that our listeners cannot get normally." The Hindi service estimates a listening population of around 70 million in India tuning in to its thrice-daily transmissions. The service has three permanent members and nine others on short-term contracts. One long-serving member whose aristocratic tones will soon no longer be heard from London is Aley Hasan. Aley who joined the BBC from All India Radio in 1948 is retiring this year.Althought the language services are constantly on the look-out for new blood to join the permanent broadcasters, recruitment is not easy. The External Services offers an initial contract of three years to most new broadcasters which is either renewed or terminated at the end of that period. People working in Bush House feel that this short-term contract, despite offering 15 per cent more than the regular pay, deters talented people from throwing up their career at home to work in London.The three-year term has also been heavily criticised this month in a report put together, by the Associations of Broadcasting Staff and the National Union of Journalists who accuse the External Services of "exploiting foreigners". The report says that short-term contracts cause fear and in-security amongst foreign staff.A Bush House spokesman argues that a periodic changeover of language broadcasters is necessary. Says Budhwar: "We need new people from the target areas of broadcast to be able to keep up with changes in culture and language." Normally, permanent staff on the BBC are allowed foreign travel to their language countries once in three years.There is a small group of experienced people who circulate within the main Western broadcasting stations. Himanshu Bhaduri is one career broadcaster who came from All India Radio via the Voice of America to the BBC. The requirements for working in a service like the BBC are high, says Bhaduri."It is necessary to have an excellent command of spoken and written Hindi or the mother tongue. Then one's English must be good enough to be able to translate from a given script correctly and quickly. And of course a broadcaster must have a good voice and style." Though recruitment is generally done in the target area of broadcast there are some who come to Bush House through occasional work as students. Shyamal Lodh came to Britain in 1961 to join a business course and ended up as a leading member of the Bengali service. "I had always been keen on the stage," said Lodh, "what really makes it worthwhile working with the BBC is the relative freedom allowed to the programme maker compared to any other similar organisation. It is still the most independent of broadcasting stations and free from political interference."Shakespeare: While the main stress is on news and current affairs, culture is not ignored. The mini Tamil service's sole permanent member Shankaramurthi brings frequent doses of the English classics to the uninitiated in Tamil Nadu, Malaysia, Kuwait, Sri Lanka and Singapore. Murthi's translation of Ariel's song from The Tempest was broadcast to domestic audiences in Britain as an unusual and outstanding piece of radio work. "Where else would Tamil speaking listeners be able to hear Shakespeare's plays?" asks Murthi. Letters decorating the walls of his room bear witness to the devotion of his listeners.In fact the broadcasters never cease to be astonished at the numbers who write in to the BBC for whatever purpose. As Bengali broadcaster Sirajur Rahman points out: "Buying a stamp is almost equivalent to spending half a day's wage for many people in our countries. But still they write, sometimes to say they like our programmes, sometimes to disagree with what we say."If the threatened cut to the External Services goes through the Eastern Service will suffer its second loss in five years. In 1977 the Sinhala service was closed down in another financial cut-back. The External Services are financed by the Government through the Foreign Office and receive around 60 million (Rs 108 crore) a year.This year's cuts would save the Government about 3 million (Rs 5.4 crore). Ministers concerned with the implementation of the cuts have hastened to explain that the Government is concerned with the poor audibility of External Services broadcasting and priority will be given to improving and building new relay stations.Bush House says that the small sum saved would be at the cost of losing many listeners at a time when other main international broadcasting stations such as the Soviet Union were increasing their overseas services. This year the Burmese service with an annual budget of 170,000 (Rs 31 lakh) will probably be closing down at a time when Burma is emerging from its isolation.Cuts: Far from asking why the British taxpayer should finance a world news and information service the average Briton (who travels abroad more frequently than ever before) accepts that in a world in which British interests and influence are fast waning the BBC External Service is one organisation that still works and works well.As The Daily Telegraph wrote in an editorial: "Three million pounds (Rs 5.4 crore) is what the taxpayer gives British Leyland (the money-losing British car manufacturers) every day before lunch."The BBC is not popular with all foreign governments, many of whom take strong exception to what is broadcast at times. During the 1971 war with Pakistan many Indians felt the BBC favoured Pakistan. But Jim Norris points out that the BBC has no editorial opinion and therefore as a service cannot have a bias. On the contrary, says Norris: "The BBC has a neurotic, almost obsessive desire to be fair, a virtue we take to extremes sometimes."The Government's proposal for a major cut in the External Services was rejected by the House of Lords at its last sitting. But unless the House of Commons also rejects it or the Government changes its mind, the axe will fall on Bush House by the end of the year,Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 31, 2013 08:58 IST--- ENDS ---

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BBC External Services: Budget cut-backs threaten a much-needed service

This year the BBC celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Hindi, Bengali and Tamil services. The BBC opened a service in Hindustani in 1941 to transmit messages to Indian troops stationed abroad.

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