BBC World Service Trust
The BBC World Service Trust definies its mission as using "the creative power of media to reduce poverty and promote human rights by inspiring people to build better lives" [1]
The Trust works with the media in Developing Countries all over the world to produce programmes suited to the local audience as well as helping to build media capacity and infrastructure.
Contents
Iraq
As part of the Department for International Development's (DFID) Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Iraq, 2003, the BBC World Service Trust was awarded contratcs worth over £6.5 million to rebuild the country's media infrastructure. An initial £390,000 was given to produce humanitarian programmes for broadcast on the BBC World Service and to assess the state of the Iraqi media. A further £6,140,098 was awarded to establish a broadcasting centre in Basra, to assist in the production of local news, education and entertainment programmes for broadcast on radio and TV, and the provision of equipment and training.[2]
The culmination of this project was the creation of Al Mirbad TV and Radio in the summer of 2005, a local media outlet covering Southern Iraq. All the 150 staff were trained by the BBC World Service Trust and the day to day running of the station is now in the hands of a local management team. A January 2006 survey showed that 42% of respondents tuned in to Al Mirbad radio at least once a week while 13% of viewers watched Al Mirbad TV.[3]
In October 2007, the Trust announced the launch of a project to promote freedom of expression in Iraq. "The project is further developing the country's media regulatory framework; providing support for media professionals, and undertaking research on the state of the country's media".[4] A profesional code of conduct will be created for journalists while the country's regulatory framework for the media will also be developed. The project is being run in conjunction with Albany Associates and IREX Europe with funding coming from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).".[5]
Directors
Stephen King - Director
Awo Ablo - Director of Business Development
Kirsty Cockburn - Direcdtor of Communications
Anna Da Silva - Regional Director, Africa
Simon Derry - Regional Director, Middle East, Europe and Former Soviet Union
Caroline Howie - Regional Director, Asis
Gerry Power - Director, Research and Knowledge Management
Funding
Danish International Development Assistance (Danida)
Department For International Development, UK (DfID)
Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK (FCO)
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
International Labour Organisation (ILO)
International Trachoma Initiative (ITI)
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Netherlands (NEDA)
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC)
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Development Fund For Women (UNIFEM)
United Nations Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA)
United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI)
USAID US Agency for International Development
World Health Organization (WHO)
