| Millions
of Chinese listen to it secretly for honest, objective and propaganda-free news
about their own country. This is often the case in
countries ruled by dictators such as Iraq, North Korea and Libya where the people
cannot trust their national news services. Mikhail
Gorbachev said it was his only source of news when he was a prisoner in 1991 and
Nelson Mandela said that it was his lifeline to the world during his many, long
years in prison. BBC Television is financed by British
owners of television sets, who have to pay 85 pounds a year for a license. The
BBC World Service is financed by the British taxpayer, who gives 175 million pounds
a year to pay for the service. Therefore, its organizers
have to be very careful about how this limited amount of money is spent. However,
there is no doubt that the BBC will continue to be the voice of honesty and freedom
well into the future. |