The BBC World Service is funded directly by the UK government and not by the licence fee, and its aims are somewhat different:
To be the world's best-known and most-respected voice in international broadcasting, thereby bringing benefit to Britain.
To be the world's first choice among international broadcasters for authoritative and impartial news and information, trusted for its accuracy, editorial independence and expertise.
Providing a forum for the exchange of ideas across cultural, linguistic and national boundaries.
To be a global hub for high-quality information and communication.
Promoting the English language, learning and interest in a modern, contemporary Britain.
Offering a showcase for British talent across the world.
The BBC World service competes with other international broadcasters (e.g. Voice of America) and not with domestic broadcasters overseas. The whole World Service budget wouldn't pay for the cost of rights to broadcast live TV coverage of the Olympics globally.
Presumably US broadcasters have paid for broadcast rights in the US. If the service is crap well, that capitalism for you -- maybe US residents should donate money to public service broadcasters to provide a better service in future.
I think your're confused here. English speakers will use 'Macedonia' in normal speech (unless there's an irate Greek nearby) because 'The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' is too long. Now go and sit down and calm down, dude.
Slashdot Mirror
Yup. Although this is a nice intellectual exercise teaching this to high school students is about as useful as teaching them phonetic spelling.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/us/annual_review /2003/index.shtml
The BBC World service competes with other international broadcasters (e.g. Voice of America) and not with domestic broadcasters overseas. The whole World Service budget wouldn't pay for the cost of rights to broadcast live TV coverage of the Olympics globally.
Presumably US broadcasters have paid for broadcast rights in the US. If the service is crap well, that capitalism for you -- maybe US residents should donate money to public service broadcasters to provide a better service in future.
I think your're confused here. English speakers will use 'Macedonia' in normal speech (unless there's an irate Greek nearby) because 'The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' is too long. Now go and sit down and calm down, dude.
It's a convenience, dude.
North Korea = Democratic People's Republic of Korea
United Kingdom = The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
and of course...
Greece = The Hellenic Republic