Bogof

No less than two 'short' inquiries by MPs in to the funding of the World Service are on the launch pad. Emily Thornbury's Foreign Affairs Committee "will look at how the BBC World Service is funded and run, and whether the reduction of funding will have an impact on the UK’s soft power abroad." No details yet of sessions or an evidence call. 

Meanwhile the Culture Select Committee, under Caroline Dinenage, "will look at the services the World Service provides, how it is paid for, the challenges it faces operating around the world, and the pressures funding the World Service from the licence fee places on other BBC services."  Again, no bookings yet. 

Ms Dinenage adds “For nearly 100 years, the BBC World Service has been a hugely respected source of trusted journalism for millions and has played a key role in enhancing the UK’s global identity and influence on the world stage. With current funding pressures creating challenges for the BBC budget, the timing is right to examine how it can best be financed into the future, with a model that balances the Government’s objectives and value for money for the licence payer.”