UK pumps extra funding into BBC World Service as conflicts escalate

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Britain said on Thursday ​it would increase ⁠funding for the BBC World ​Service over the next three years, citing the growing need to provide international audiences with impartial ​news ‌at a time of conflict and media blackouts around the world.

The foreign office used to ⁠fund all of the World Service before the ⁠rules were changed in 2014 ​to make the broadcaster shoulder most of the cost, and a committee of lawmakers warned last week that uncertainty around the funding was worrying.

The previous funding agreement ​had been ‌due to run out at the end of March.

• Britain's foreign office pledged 11 million pounds ($14.6 million) per year for the next three years, representing an 8% increase on the previous year’s allocation.

• The BBC World Service is ​funded through a licence fee paid by British households which watch live television, ‌while about 30% of the funding comes from the foreign office.

• Foreign minister Yvette Cooper said the extra funding ‌is in the country's interests to support security and promote UK values around the world.

• The BBC World Service has a global weekly audience of more than 300 ​million people, making it one of Britain's most important cultural exports, providing news via radio, ‌television and online in 43 languages.

• Over 70% of the BBC World Service audience is in countries with no or low media freedom.

• The BBC said it ⁠launched an ⁠emergency radio service in Iran in February, in addition ‌to existing BBC Persian digital and TV channels, ensuring accurate, timely news reaches the Iranian people.

• "In a world ​of rising disinformation, ​the BBC World Service provides hundreds of  millions  with ‌journalism they can trust and rely on," said Cooper in a statement.  "It offers clarity, accuracy and an independent voice where reliable information is increasingly difficult to access." ($1 = 0.7529 pounds) (Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton)