Thursday, March 16, 2006
David Pitts ["Radio News With a British Accent," Close to Home, March 12] said that it was disturbing that the BBC has taken a prominent role in U.S. public radio and implied that the British Foreign Office exerts editorial control over the BBC World Service. That is false.
The BBC World Service is funded by a grant from Britain's Parliament, administered by the Foreign Office. But the Foreign Office has no say in the BBC's editorial agenda.
On editorial matters, the World Service is responsible only to the director general of the BBC and the BBC Board of Governors. These principles are laid out in the broadcasting agreement with the United Kingdom.
PHILIP HARDING
Director
English Networks & News
BBC World Service
London
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I strongly disagree with David Pitts's commentary lamenting the abundance of BBC World Service content on WETA and WAMU-FM. I'm fascinated by the world perspective provided by the BBC's news and commentary, as well as by the "World Have Your Say" show, which features callers from around the globe, including the United States.
While the BBC news does displace local content, I'm hardly alienated from my locality, considering the availability of neighborhood newspapers and The Post; local news on radio (including WAMU and WETA) and television; local news and commentary e-mail lists; and many Web sites.
Mr. Pitts suggested that while government funding makes Voice of America "to some degree" a propaganda organ, we should beware the BBC's coverage because it is tainted by government funding. I'm happy to trade the lost hours of local gabfests for the BBC's world window.
Wouldn't the world improve if more people broadened their perspectives, rather than hearing from only their like-thinking neighbors?
GABRIEL GOLDBERG
Falls Church
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David Pitts said that BBC World Service Radio is the main competitor of Voice of America (VOA).
That used to be true, but the Board of Broadcast Governors, which controls the VOA, has announced that it intends to discontinue almost all English-language radio broadcasting at the end of September because so few people are listening. That just might be the case because the board has turned off many VOA transmitters.
Travelers abroad who want to hear news of the United States might try Radio China (Beijing). It has 24-hour English-language radio service.
NEIL CURRIE
Potomac
The writer is a news anchor at Voice of America.
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