BBC World Service is to close its Romanian language service. The news and current affairs service is proposing to cease broadcasting on August 1 2008 after 68 years of broadcasting.
BBC Romanian broadcasts for almost four hours a day on radio and also runs a complementary website.
It is the last of the BBC's non-English language services specifically aimed at countries that are EU member states. This will be BBC Worlds Service's only language service closure during this current funding period.
This decision, which has been endorsed by the BBC Trust and the FCO, comes after consideration of audience need to continue broadcasts, the changing media landscape in Romania and the declining impact of the service.
The changes are also made within the context of the very tight financial framework in which BBC World Service operates.
The scale of the competition in radio and all media has intensified since Romania acceded to the EU in 2007.
Broadcasts in Romanian for the Republic of Moldova will also cease, as the Moldovan side of the operation cannot be sustained without the infrastructure of BBC Romanian.The closure will affect 46 staff (30 in Bucharest in Romania; four in Chisinau in Moldova and 12 in London) and will save £1.3 million per annum.
BBC World Service Director Nigel Chapman said: "Like the other European services we closed three years ago, BBC Romanian had its roots in the Second World War.
"It has served its audiences with distinction through the Communist era to the present day.
"The contribution of all BBC Romanian staff has been immense: serving Romanians with innovation and commitment for 68 years. The quality of the current output is of the highest standard".
1 comment:
It was BBC, Radio Free Europe and Radio Voice of America that bridged people with the free world, maintained the hope and broadcasted the wind of change during those dark years.
Thank you BBC!
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