Radio BBC World Service

The BBC World Service is one of the most widely-recognised international broadcasters, currently broadcasting in 32 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays. It is politically independent, non-profit and commercial-free. It broadcasts radio and television programmes.

The English language service broadcasts 24 hours a day. In June 2009 the BBC reported that the World Service's average weekly audience had reached 188 million people.[1] The World Service is funded by grant-in-aid through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office by the British Government[2] — unlike the BBC's domestic radio and television services, which are primarily funded by a compulsory licence fee levied on every household in the United Kingdom using a television to watch programmes as they are being broadcast. Despite this form of funding, the World Service remains editorially independent,[2][non-primary source needed] although the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is closely consulted in decisions about which languages are broadcast.