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Over the year, use of the 成人论坛 Arabic site alone
tripled to nearly four million page impressions a month. Success
like this is a remarkable achievement and strong endorsement of
the World Service's internet strategy. Across the World Service
and World News sites, page impressions have reached 39.3 million
a month, 9.3 million ahead of target. World-class sites, updated
24 hours a day, seven days a week, have been launched in Spanish
and Russian, joining Arabic, Chinese – and, of course, English.
‘The internet is a very powerful tool to reach potential users of the World Service in a contemporary way,’ says deputy director Nigel Chapman. ‘Our online services complement radio output, enabling us to make the most of our investment in journalism and programme-making. Through the internet, we can reach audiences who may not be able to hear us on FM or even on short wave. We can offer a depth of content that would not be possible on radio, and audiences can interact in new ways such as online discussions. What's more, it's an on-demand medium, so you can hear the latest edition of Newshour, The World Today or any other programme you missed at a time when it suits you.’
The award-winning Arabic site has introduced a new debating forum
and is providing an increasing amount of background information
and reference material. ‘From our experience, what attracts
users is high-quality content rather than flashy images and technology,’
says Hosam El Sokkari, head of 成人论坛 Arabic Online. ‘To move
ahead we must build on our ability to provide multimedia content.
Given the resources, one of our priorities would be to provide video
with Arabic commentary, and to offer more interactivity.’
For the World Service as a whole, staying ahead of the competition
online means adapting to rapidly evolving technology. ‘A key
issue in the future will be the role of broadband,’ says head
of New Media, Chris Westcott. ‘Undoubtedly it is coming and
with it there will be greater opportunities for what we may provide.’
This year's achievements are just a starting point, as development
moves from PCs to mobile phones and other mobile devices. ‘We
will have to deliver content to a range of devices, some of which
have yet to be invented,’ explains Westcott. ‘To do this
within our funding base means finding new ways to produce material
once and publish it many times in different formats. This is still
an incredibly young medium. The pace of development is outstripping
anything seen in the early days of radio or television. For the
World Service, the opportunities are tremendous.’
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