The BBC plans to double its global audience to around 500 million people by the time the corporation reaches its centenary in 2022.
Director General Tony Hall set out his ambition in a speech at New Broadcasting House in London on Tuesday.
Hall hailed the organisation’s news operations, which include BBC World Service, as a “global news powerhouse”.
“Over the past 80 years, we have built a global news service that is trusted, respected and relied upon by a quarter of a billion people around the world. “Our ambition is to double our global audience by 2022 to half a billion,” said Hall.
The BBC plans to drive digital growth through mobile and social products in English and other languages, further improve the quality of its World News services and strengthening regional coverage for Asia, US and Africa, he said.
Hall – a former Director of News – became BBC Director General in April this year
Current Director of News, James Harding, said: “We can’t be complacent; we’re in a rapidly changing world where people’s news consumption is changing. We must – and we will – innovate to stay ahead.”
The BBC was founded in October 1922.
Its international radio World Service was born a decade later and is still the world’s largest international broadcaster, airing in 28 languages.