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Cash-strapped, job-cutting BBC to launch another 30 digital channels

The BBC has come under fire over plans to launch another 30 channels across the globe, at a time when thousands of jobs are being culled.

Critics have hit out at the BBC's spiralling commercial ambitions, claiming it behaving more like a global media empire than a public service broadcaster.

They fear as a broadcaster it is losing sight of its remit and is in danger of stifling competition.

Politicians claim the BBC should be concentrating on its core UK commitments like news and current affairs, at a time when it is making swingeing cuts.

Among the 30 new channels, will be new services in the US and Asia, showing popular programmes like Doctor Who, Top Gear and What Not to Wear.

The aggressive expansion by the corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide comes on top of 21 channels already launching this year.

BBC bosses want to challenge the big media companies such as Viacom, owner of MTV and Turner, which owns CNN.

While the profits of BBC Worldwide are ploughed back into the BBC, many observers are alarmed that the corporation is danger of losing sight of its role.

The plans come as the BBC is axing 2,500 posts and showing more repeats to plug a £2bn shortfall in cash after a lower than expected licence fee deal.

Only recently the BBC came under fire after it bought the Lonely Planet travel guide empire, amid claims it was essentially nationalising a publisher. It is also opening a £75 million production centre in India.

Conservative MP Philip Davies, who sits on the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, said: "It is all very well to say we are going to do this thing to make a profit to reinvest back in programming.

"But where do we draw the line - is the BBC going to start buying shares in BT - this is all a bit tenuous. They have got to look to their remit - that is public service broadcasting."

He added: "What people want is a high quality impartial public service content in Britain. That should be the BBC's primary focus.

"They have admitted the BBC needs to be more streamlined and do less - so it really does need to look at what its priorities are."

The BBC aggressive expansion plans include four branded video-on-demand channels in the US and a high definition channel there.

There will be new channels in Malaysia and the Philippines, on top of the 10 channels already launched in Asia in five months. Two channels in Latin America are due to launch this year as well as services in Africa.

BBC Worldwide managing director of channels Darren Childs said: "There is not a market we are not looking at."

He added: "It will take us three to five years to take us to the scale of our competitors, but I am confident we can do it.

"We are taking on the big American channel providers and there isn't another UK competitor who can."

The BBC claims that the success of its commercial arm reduces the burden on the licence fee payer. BBC Worldwide has been tasked with doubling its profits to at least £222million within five years.