Development Committee of the UK House of Commons has launched a new inquiry on the future funding of the BBC World Service .

BBC World Service provides news to radio , TV and digital audiences around the world in 42 languages including English , reaching a global audience of 318 million people . It is chiefly funded by the UK Licence Fee with additional grant funding of £ 104.4 million (€ 121.8m ) from the Foreign , Commonwealth and

Development Office . Under this arrangement , the BBC World

Service agreed not to close any language services – but this condition is set to be lifted in 2025 .

BBC Director General , Tim Davie , made it clear in a speech in March 2024 that “ we cannot keep asking UK Licence Fee payers to invest in ( the World Service ) when we face cuts to UK services . We will need to discuss a long-term funding solution for the World Service that comes from central government budgets ”.

Given its impact on the

UK ’ s development goals , and the projection of the UK ’ s values across the world , the International Development Committee is launching a short inquiry to establish the case for increased Government support and make recommendations beyond the current support package finishing in 2025 .

The inquiry will focus on the BBC ’ s offering to ODA [ official development assistance ] eligible countries and the positive influence of the service as part of the UK ’ s soft power .

The Committee is now inviting written submissions addressing the following areas :

• What contribution does the BBC World Service make to the development goals around

the world and in ODA eligible countries in-particular ?

• What soft power advantages does the World Service provide for the UK and the projection of its values ?

• What trends are there in the funding and support for internationally focussed broadcasters in countries such as China , the US , France and Russia ?

• What are the likely financial needs of the World Service in the coming years and the likely damage to its offering in the short-term if funds are not forthcoming ?

• What are the merits and concerns surrounding the possible funding models for the BBC World Service ?

UK introduces smart devices security laws

Consumer protections against

hacking and cyber-attacks

have come in to force in

the UK , with all Internet

connected smart devices now

to be required by law to meet

minimum security standards .

Manufacturers will

be required to protect

consumers from hackers

and cyber criminals

from accessing devices

with Internet or network

connectivity - from

smartphones to games

consoles and connected

fridges - as the UK becomes

the first country in the world

to introduce these laws .

Under the new regime ,

manufacturers will be banned

from having weak , easily

guessable default passwords

such as ‘ admin ’ or ‘ 12345 ’

and if there is a common

password the user will be

promoted to change it on

start-up .

The government says the

move marks a significant step

towards boosting the UK ’ s

resilience towards cybercrime , as recent figures show 99 % of UK adults own at least one smart device and UK households own an average of nine connected devices . The new regime will also help give customers confidence in buying and using products , which will in turn help grow businesses and the economy .

An investigation conducted by consumer protection body Which ? showed that a home filled with smart devices could be exposed to more than 12,000 hacking attacks from across the world in a single week , with a total of 2,684 attempts to guess weak default passwords on just five devices .

“ As every-day life becomes increasingly dependent on connected devices , the threats generated by the Internet multiply and become even greater ,” noted minister for cyber , Viscount Camrose . “ From today , consumers will have greater peace of mind that their smart devices are protected from cyber criminals , as we introduce world first laws that will make sure their personal privacy , data and finances are safe . We are committed to making the UK the safest place in the world to be online and these new regulations mark a significant leap towards a more secure digital world .”

“ Today marks a new era where consumers can have greater confidence that their smart devices , such as phones and broadband routers , are shielded from cyber threats , and the integrity of personal privacy , data and finances better protected ,” added data and digital infrastructure minister , Julia Lopez . “ Our pledge to establish the UK as the global standard for online safety takes a big step forward with these regulations , moving us closer to our goal of a digitally secure future .”

With 57 % of households owning a smart TV , 53 % owning a voice assistant and 49 % owning a smart watch or fitness wristband , this new regime reinforces the UK government ’ s commitments to addressing these threats to society and the economy head on .

The government is beginning the legislative process for certain automotive vehicles to be exempt from the product security regulatory regime , as they will be covered by alternative legislation .

6 EUROMEDIA