Anger over BBC ‘offshoring’
Union members at the BBC World Service held an angry meeting in April to protest at the “offshoring” of programmes for South Asia.
Over the last three years managers have been gradually shifting production of broadcasting in Hindi and Urdu to India and Pakistan, without announcing a change of policy, let alone consulting staff or the union.
Only recently has it become known that 80 per cent of Hindi output is to come from Delhi, and 50 per cent of Urdu from Islamabad.
Now journalists and production staff face losing their jobs or moving to the sub-continent on inferior terms. They are also worried at the threat to broadcasting quality.