The BBC is set to spend licence-fee payers’ money in bid to “conquer” North America.
The corporation has spent the last few months throwing money into its North America operation, hiring a multitude of new staff as it faces cuts in the UK.
Labelling the move a “major growth opportunity”, The BBC has doubled the amount of journalists working for the broadcaster in North America, as well as bringing in two new editorial executives.
They are hoping their impartial news content will attract audiences in the states, where they currently have a reach of 50million a week.
The corporation has spent the last few months throwing money into its North America operation, hiring a multitude of new staff as it faces cuts in the UK
Ian West
Naja Nielsen, the digital director of BBC News, said it showed the outlet was “the most important source of trustworthy information”, speaking to Press Gazzette.
She continued: “We believe that what is at the core of BBC News – to always strive to be impartial, to be accurate, us being transparent, reporting without fear or favour – all of those things that are put into our almost constitution, we can see there is a real appetite for it.”
She stressed the “need” for BBC’s journalism in North America, explaining they “have no dog in the fight, because we’re not fearful of anyone.”
Defending the use of licence fee payers’ money, Nielsen said: “In terms of how that is benefiting the UK licence fee payers… what we do outside Britain in English is something we monetise and then we drive on commercial terms,
“And that means that if we grow in America, we can also grow our commercial return that we then can reinvest back into journalism.”
Addressing the cuts being made to the BBC in the UK she said: “Cuts are never nice and also I think we all know that change is never easy…
“I think it is important to understand that this is not a fixed pool of resources – that one of the reasons, the main reason, for us to expand in the world is because we have a really important role to play in terms of fighting disinformation and making sure that there is good, independent journalism for everyone.
“But another reason… is that we think we can grow our revenue, and by growing our revenue in America, we will have more money that we can invest in journalism. It’s that simple.”