BBC Arabic language TV service

The BBC has announced that it is launching an Arabic-language TV station, which will broadcast 12 hours a day. They have received a grant from the Foreign Office to cover the cost, but they will also be shutting down the language services in Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovene and Thai. While Nigel Chapman, director of the BBC World Services, declares the success of the outgoing programs ("It is acknowledged that their presence has contributed to the building of freedoms now enjoyed by their citizens. We believe this will be a lasting legacy.") and expects a similar success for this large new venture, not everyone agrees. The Bectu broadcasting union warns, "The decision will create a perception abroad that the BBC World Service is working to a government agenda." It will also probably compete with the Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which is itself planning to launch a global English-language service.