by Cristina Odone CHARITIES stand to lose considerable revenues if the BBC reduces its range of public service radio and television programmes after 1996, when its charter is due for renewal.
In its report on the future of the BBC, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCV0) warned this week that if certain programmes and charity appeals, such as Comic Relief and Radio Four's The Week's Good Cause, are dropped, charities will lose out financially.
Jed Clapson, Head of Communications at CAFOD, told the Catholic Herald that he shared the NCV 0' s concern, "particularly since we, as part of the Third World and environment broadcasting trust have already documented a substantial drop of 36 % of documentary coverage of international issues".
Mr Clapson went on to say that "if the BBC is to be truly a public broadcasting organisation then it must provide a service to the public which includes reflecting Third World issues".
The BBC's Comic Relief alone raised £12 million this year. Collectively, the regular BBC TV and radio appeals help 70 charities raise around £875,000 each year.