Press Releases A year of record-breaking impact for BBC World Service

Category: World Service
Date: 03.07.2007
Printable version

The BBC World Service Annual Review for 2006/7, published today (3 July), provides information about its performance during a year of major news events.

The review highlights:

• Independent research which indicates that BBC World Service's reputation for trust and objectivity is stronger than that of any other international broadcaster in virtually all markets surveyed.
  
  
• An increase in its audience to a record 183 million, a rise of 20 million on the previous year, giving BBC World Service a third more listeners than any other international radio broadcaster. Audiences rose in the Middle East, the wider Islamic world and Africa.
  
  
• The availability of BBC World Service on FM in 152 capital cities, up from 150 last year.
  
  
• A steady growth of online traffic. The BBC's international news websites attracted a record 763 million page impressions in March 2007, up from 546 million compared to March 2006. Around the world there were a record 38.5 million online users in March 2007, up from 32.8 million a year ago.
  
  
• BBC Global News services – which include BBC World Service, the BBC World television channel and BBC international online news sites - attracted a record global weekly audience of over 233 million during 2006/7.
  
  
• The Annual Review can be accessed at www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/annual_review/2006/.

BBC World Service Publicity