Editing BBC World Service (section)

=== Cold War ===

The 1956 [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian uprising]] held enormous implications for international radio broadcasting as it related to western foreign policy during the Cold War. Western broadcasts (especially the US's [[Radio Free Europe|RFE]]) incited an expectation of support that had already been decided against by President Eisenhower.<ref>{{harvnb|Rawnsley|1996|pp=67–68}}: On the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian uprising]] and the [[Radio Free Europe|RFE]]'s role: "The United Nations Special Committee which investigated the crisis in 1957 concluded that RFE had 'aroused an expectation of support'. In terms of apportioning responsibility, however, this means very little." ''(continued)''</ref>{{rp|67–68}} The BBC, unlike other broadcasters, did not lose credibility in the crisis. It showed sensitivity and acted as its own censor when diplomacy may have been jeopardised otherwise.<ref>{{harvnb|Rawnsley|1996|p=72}}: Rawnsley in the context of the BBC's reporting on the uprising wrote: "Thus despite what its critics assert about Suez the BBC was certainly sensitive of its power and often acted as its own censor where diplomacy may have been jeopardised."</ref>{{rp|72}}

In stark contrast stood the BBC's reporting on the [[Suez Crisis]] of the same year. Although the British government tried to censor the BBC, it continued its even-handed reporting to both home as well as all foreign audiences.{{sfn | Goodwin | 2005}}{{rp|109–114}} The row had the government seriously consider taking over the service when then prime minister [[Anthony Eden]] wanted to ensure that only the government line—that the British and French only invaded Eqypt to keep peace and because its president [[Nasser]] was breaking international law—would reach the home (and international) audience.{{sfn | Economic and Political Weekly | 1968 | p=1680}}<ref name="fairhall20110630">{{Cite news |last=Fairhall |first=John |date=30 June 2011 |title=Drama sparks Suez Crisis memories |url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/norfolk-life/drama_sparks_suez_crisis_memories_1_949446 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102190920/http://www.edp24.co.uk/norfolk-life/drama_sparks_suez_crisis_memories_1_949446 |archive-date=2 November 2014 |access-date=21 January 2015 |work=[[Eastern Daily Press]]}}</ref>

By the end of the 1940s, the number of broadcast languages had expanded and reception had improved, following the opening of a relay in [[British Malaya|Malaya]] and of the [[Limassol BBC Relay|Limassol relay]] in [[British Cyprus|Cyprus]] in 1957.

Also in 1957, a number of foreign language services were discontinued, or reduced.{{sfn | Rawnsley | 1996 }}{{rp|3}}

In 1962, the [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office|Foreign Office]] argued that the [[VOA]]'s philosophy, as presented to it by its then director [[Henry Loomis (broadcasting executive)|Henry Loomis]], not to broadcast to fully-developed allied countries in their respective languages should be adopted by the BBC. The reluctance of the BBC to drop those services was predicted also.{{sfn | Rawnsley | 1996 }}{{rp|2}}

On 1 May 1965, the service took its current name of '''BBC World Service'''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/history/story/2007/02/070122_html_60s.shtml|title= The 1960s|publisher= BBC World Service|access-date= 25 April 2010|archive-date= 8 November 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111108042303/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/history/story/2007/02/070122_html_60s.shtml|url-status= live}}</ref> It expanded its reach with the opening of the [[Ascension Island transmitting station|Ascension Island relay]] in 1966, serving African audiences with a stronger signal and better reception, and with the later relay on the Island of [[Masirah Island|Masirah]] in Oman.

In August 1985, the service went off-air for the first time when workers went on strike in protest at the [[British government]]'s decision to ban a documentary featuring an interview with [[Martin McGuinness]] of [[Sinn Féin]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Jo |date=8 August 1985 |title=British Newscasts Stopped by Strike |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/08/world/british-newscasts-stopped-by-strike.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |archive-date=25 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125155225/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/08/world/british-newscasts-stopped-by-strike.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=DeYoung |first=Karen |date=7 August 1985 |title=BBC World Service Falls Silent |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/08/07/bbc-world-service-falls-silent/057453eb-f526-49f4-962c-8fb8045c2ab6/ |access-date=6 March 2021 |archive-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318142421/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1985/08/07/bbc-world-service-falls-silent/057453eb-f526-49f4-962c-8fb8045c2ab6/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=8 August 1985 |title=Strike halts BBC News Worldwide |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-08-08-ca-3574-story.html |access-date=6 March 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=18 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318142434/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-08-08-ca-3574-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Subsequently, financial pressures decreased the number and the types of services offered by the BBC. Audiences in countries with wide access to [[Internet]] services have less need for terrestrial radio.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} Broadcasts in German ended in March 1999, after research showed that the majority of German listeners tuned into the English-language service. Broadcasts in [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], French, [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], Italian, Japanese and [[Malay language|Malay]] stopped for similar reasons.