BBC international audience rises to record levels

LONDON (AFP) - The BBC said on Monday that combined audience figures for its international news outlets rose to a record 233 million in 2006-07.

Between BBC World Service radio, the commercially-funded BBC World television channel and the BBC's international news website www.bbcnews.com, that represented a rise of 23 million from the previous year.

The broadcaster said its weekly radio audience rose 20 million to 183 million, while BBC World attracted 76 million viewers a week. Some 38.5 million unique online users globally meanwhile visited its international news website.

It noted that some people used more than one service.

The BBC, which is funded domestically with a taxpayer-subsidy, arrived at its figures for World Service radio through indenpedent audience research over a four-year cycle.

It compiled its audience figures for BBC World through multiple surveys in 100 countries.