BBC pumps in extra cash to keep BBC Hindi on-air

In yet another u-turn, the BBC Trust has decided to keep cash-strapped international station, BBC Hindi, on-air with a fresh injection of money.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced additional funding to ensure its continuation amidst major funding cuts across the organisation.

Hague has agreed to give an extra �2.2m annually to the World Service for the next three years from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office budget.

The BBC Trust has also reallocated �9m of existing World Service funding to editorial investment over three years to counter the impact of the government funding cuts.

Hague said besides the Hindi Service, the funding boost will enable the Arabic Service to continue its “valuable work in the region”.

As part of major funding cuts announced in the BBC in January, the BBC Hindi Service was to close in March, but after much criticism in India and here, it was given a year’s reprieve (till March 2012) to explore an alternate model of funding to ensure its continued functioning.