BBC World Service makes deep cuts

The BBC has plans to close five of its 32 World Service language services including its English-language service in the Caribbean. Britain's public broadcaster announced the cuts, which could eliminate up to 650 jobs, about a quarter of all jobs at the World Service, on Wednesday. It has been ordered to save £46 million ($72.2 million Cdn) in annual costs as the Foreign Office begins the process of offloading the World Service onto the BBC.The World Service costs $430 million to run annually and the BBC is not taking over the full budget until 2014. But BBC's operating grant for the radio, TV and online service is to fall by 16 per cent in March.