Other services being closed are the Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian, and Portuguese for Africa broadcasts.
A BBC press release said the closures were part of its response to a cut to its Grant-In-Aid funding from the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).
The cut is part of a BBC World Service restructure in order to meet a 16% savings target announced in the Government’s Spending Review of 20 October last year.
BBC Global News Director Peter Horrocks said: “These closures are not a reflection on the performance of individual services or programmes. They are all extremely important to their audiences and to the BBC.
“It is simply that there is a need to make savings due to the scale of the cuts to the World Service’s Grant-in-Aid funding from the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office and we need to focus our efforts in the languages where there is the greatest need and where we have the strongest impact.”
Controller, Languages at BBC World Service, Liliane Landor described BBC Caribbean as: “The Caribbean Service, one of the oldest and most distinguished services that the BBC has provided in English.”
Closure
The Caribbean Service transmissions are used on 48 partner stations across the English, Spanish, and Dutch Caribbean and as part of the Caribbean stream on four FM relays in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and Antigua-Barbuda.
Listening in the Caribbean
Its flagship programmes are BBC Caribbean Report – morning and evening drivetime editions.
The cultural programme BBC Caribbean Magazine has reflected the human side of the news as well as reporting on the region’s music and literature.
And BBC Sports Caribbean is provided by World Service for the Caribbean programme stream.
Programmes
The website www.bbccaribbean.com received its biggest page impressions from the Caribbean diaspora in the US, Canada, and the UK.
History
The early roots of the Caribbean Service began in 1939. The programme Calling the West Indies featured West Indian troops on active service during World War Two to read letters on air to their families back home.
From 1943 to 1958, the programme became Caribbean Voices which highlighted West Indian writers.
During this period, new writers, including VS Naipaul, George Lamming, Andrew Salkey and Samuel Selvon worked and produced their first works.
In 1949, the segment We see Britain was introduced as part of the programming for the Caribbean under the management of cricketer-turned-producer Ken Ablack.
The Service went on for the next three decades nurturing the talents of producers and presenters such as Louise Bennett, Jones P Madeira, and Trevor MacDonald.
The Service was closed in the mid 1970s with Caribbean Magazine remaining on air, produced by a separate BBC department.
It was re-opened in 1988 as a news and current affairs department, later taking over Caribbean Magazine as part of the Caribbean stream of programming for the Caribbean.
Its opening presentation team were Hugh Crosskill, Jerry Timmins, and Pat Whitehorne.
Current BBC Caribbean Service team
Debbie Ransome, Head of BBC Caribbean Service said: “After one of our best years ever editorially, this has been a great blow for the team here.”
“Given what we know BBC Caribbean means for providing pan-Caribbean coverage for a strong radio audience, plus the online links it provides between the Caribbean and its diaspora, and the amount of goodwill it brought for the BBC from a loyal audience, clearly a void will be left.”
Division and audience
Caribbean Service-850,000
Portuguese for Africa-1,500,000
Serbian-550,000
Albanian-510,000
Macedonian-160,000
Excerpts of Comments on the BBC Caribbean Closure
This is sad. BBC Caribbean is the biggest thing around. People make it a point of duty to listen to BBC Caribbean especially the evening edition. BBC should have done a survey or allow radio stations to raise the issues on their talk show to see if that would change the heart of those in charge. Right now we people have to return to VOA. I still do not quite understand this.
It’s sad when the Caribbean is about to go through a rough period in its history
K Baksh
I value every aspect of the world service, and have done since moving to Singapore 13 years ago. Why doesn’t the BBC ask overseas listeners to pay a fee for certain services to help support the services effected by these cuts. The news services should be continued to be enjoyed around the world. After all when I’m in the UK I would pay the license fee – I wouldn’t hesitate in paying a fee to continue access. It seems illogical to cut before even asking the question – can you support?
Nassau, Bahamas
We have only quite recently started to be able to pick up a dedicated World service radio channel on 92.1FM here in Barbados, and it has been a joy beyond all words to listen to.
Does this mean that this radio station will now end for Barbados and similarly Jamaica, Trinidad and Antigua or do these cuts only affect the short world news reports that we hear on a few of the other local radio stations such as BBS and VOB?
I am praying these services won’t be cut. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. This new radio station has been an absolute God send for people in Barbados.
Melanie Watson
St. Michael, Barbados
It came as a shock to me last evening when I heard on the Caribbean Report that the BBC Caribbean Service will be closing down.
I had to replay the recording to be sure what I had just heard. This equates to the loss of a very close and dear aunt or uncle. This is a massive loss and a huge void to fill.
Thanks so much for the wonderful work of informing, educating and entertaining us all in the Caribbean. You all are heroes and real role models. Thanks a million, my dear friends and colleagues.
Always remember God is in control and He will help you weather the storm. God bless.
Kind regards,
Paul Charles
As a Caribbean born person living in the UK I really depend on BBC Caribbean to stay in touch with what is going on in that part of the world. I hope the BBC reconsiders closing this very good service as it benefits both the Caribbean and latin America.
Jason Raymond
London
ACM STATEMENT ON THE IMPENDING CLOSURE OF THE BBC CARIBBEAN SERVICE
January 25, 2011 – The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) is saddened by the announcement by the British Broadcasting Corporation that its popular Caribbean Service is to be closed.
The ACM wishes to pay tribute to the West Indian men and women and their British counterparts who strove for more than 40 years, and more recently, in more than 15 years of unbroken service to present a balanced, comprehensive and intelligent picture of life in the Caribbean. The Caribbean Service has also been an invaluable source of insightful analyses and commentaries on the effect of world economics and politics on the region.
It is in this regard that the ACM calls on the Caribbean Media Corporation and the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, whose mandates and functions mirror that of the Caribbean Service, to move immediately to create a viable alternative. The CMC, especially, which has inherited the Caribbean News Agency (CANA), a trusted and independent organisation that gave so many of the BBC Caribbean staff their start, must now seize the opportunity to ensure that the region does not skip a beat in making the transition from a London-based Caribbean news organisation to a Caribbean-based news agency.
It would be a sad commentary on the fruit of regional independence and integration and the greatest possible disservice to the people of this region if the Caribbean broadcast media, who do possess the resources, lack the will to do what the moment demands of them.
Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers
I value every aspect of the world service, and have done since moving to Singapore 13 years ago. Why doesn’t the BBC ask overseas listeners to pay a fee for certain services to help support the services effected by these cuts. The news services should be continued to be enjoyed around the world. After all when I’m in the UK I would pay the license fee – I wouldn’t hesitate in paying a fee to continue access. It seems illogical to cut before even asking the question – can you support?
John Bishop,
Nassau, Bahamas
UK government defends BBC Caribbean closure
by Global News Staff
LONDON, England — The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has justified the recently announced cuts at the BBC World Service, including closing the BBC’s Caribbean Service (BBC Caribbean).
Speaking in parliament, Hague said the World Service needed to work as efficiently as possible and prioritise on growing markets, such as online and mobile services.
An opposition MP, Denis McShane, accused the foreign secretary of silencing the voice of Britain and the voice of democracy.
BBC World Service is to carry out a fundamental restructure in order to meet the 16 percent savings target required by the British government’s spending review in October last year.
The cuts will affect 600 employees, whose services have been terminated.
UK government defends BBC Caribbean closure
by Global News Staff
LONDON, England — The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has justified the recently announced cuts at the BBC World Service, including closing the BBC’s Caribbean Service (BBC Caribbean).
Speaking in parliament, Hague said the World Service needed to work as efficiently as possible and prioritise on growing markets, such as online and mobile services.
An opposition MP, Denis McShane, accused the foreign secretary of silencing the voice of Britain and the voice of democracy.
BBC World Service is to carry out a fundamental restructure in order to meet the 16 percent savings target required by the British government’s spending review in October last year.
The cuts will affect 600 employees, whose services have been terminated.
