There’s a certain amount of excitement about the news that the BBC has applied for funding from the State Department: how can state be giving money to foreigners when funding for US broadcasting is under pressure.
It’s not actually the BBC it’s the BBC World Service Trust which is a separate charity.
The BBC World Service Trust is the BBC’s international charity. We use media and communications to reduce poverty and promote human rights, thereby enabling people to build better lives.
Independently funded
We are funded by external grants and voluntary contributions, mainly from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the European Union, UN agencies and charitable foundations. We receive a small amount of core support from the BBC (both in kind and cash).
Vision
We believe that independent and vibrant media are critical to the development of free and just societies.
We share the BBC’s ambition to provide accurate, impartial and reliable information to enable people to make informed decisions.
We aspire to a world where individuals and civil society use media and communications to become effective participants in their own political, economic, social and cultural development.
More about the World Service Trust and what it does here
Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence 