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{{short description|International radio division of the BBC}} {{For|the BBC television network that was previously known as BBC World News|BBC News (international TV channel)}} {{redirect|World Service}} {{protection padlock|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use British English|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox broadcasting network | name = BBC World Service | logo = BBC World Service 2022 (Boxed).svg | logo_size = 200px | type = Radio broadcasting [[news]], [[speech]], [[discussions]], [[public broadcaster]] | logo_caption = Logo used since 2022 | established = | test of transmission = | airdate = | country = United Kingdom | available = Worldwide | founded = | founder = | motto = | market_share = | license_area = | headquarters = [[Broadcasting House]], London | broadcast_area = Worldwide | area = | erp = | owner = [[BBC]] | parent = | key_people = [[Jonathan Munro]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Jonathan Munro appointed BBC News Global Director |url=https://www.ibc.org/news/jonathan-munro-appointed-bbc-news-global-director/11104.article |date=10 July 2024 |access-date=16 September 2024 |work=IBC365}}</ref> | foundation = | launch_date = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1932|12|19}} | dissolved = | former_names = {{Unbulletedlist |BBC Empire Service|BBC Overseas Service|External Services of the BBC}} | digital = | servicename1 = | service1 = | servicename2 = | service2 = | servicename3 = | service3 = | servicename4 = | service4 = | callsigns = | callsign_meaning = | former_callsigns = | affiliation = | affiliates = | groups = | former_affiliations = | website = {{official URL}} | webcast = [https://www.bbc.com/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service Web stream] }} The '''BBC World Service''' is a British [[Public broadcasting|public service broadcaster]] owned and operated by the [[BBC]]. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmfaff/334/334.pdf |title= The Work of the BBC World Service 2008-09 |publisher=House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee |date=5 February 2010 |access-date= 16 February 2011 |archive-date= 21 October 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201021001645/https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmfaff/334/334.pdf |url-status= live }}</ref> It broadcasts radio [[news]], [[speech]] and [[discussions]] in more than 40 languages<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/ws/languages|title=News in your language |website=BBC News |access-date=31 October 2019|archive-date=22 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190522030650/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ws/languages|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Media-News-Company/bbcworldservice/about/|title=BBC World Service|website=Facebook |access-date=31 October 2019|archive-date=13 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213091024/https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Media-News-Company/bbcworldservice/about/|url-status=live}}</ref> to many parts of the world on [[Analogue signal|analogue]] and [[Shortwave listening|digital shortwave]] platforms, [[internet streaming]], [[podcasting]], [[Satellite radio|satellite]], [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]], [[FM broadcasting|FM]], [[Longwave|LW]] and [[Medium wave|MW]] relays. In 2024, the World Service reached an average of 450 million people a week (via TV, radio and online).<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC's global audience holds firm despite increased competition |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2024/bbc-global-audience-measure |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> BBC World Service English maintains eight regional feeds with several programme variations, covering, respectively, [[East Africa|East]] and [[Southern Africa]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service East and Southern Africa - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9rxx |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[West Africa|West]] and [[Central Africa]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service West and Central Africa - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9s47 |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Europe]] and [[Middle East]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9rgr |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> the [[Americas]] and [[Caribbean]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9hr1 |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[East Asia]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service East Asia - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9rvj |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[South Asia]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service South Asia - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9rlv |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Australasia]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service Australasia - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9px0 |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service UK DAB/Freeview - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02zbmb3 |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> There are also two separate online-only streams, a general one<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service Online - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9p |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the other being more news-oriented, known as ''News Internet''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service News Internet - Schedules |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9sgt |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service English News - LyngSat |url=https://www.lyngsat.com/radiochannels/uk/BBC-World-Service-English-News.html |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=www.lyngsat.com}}</ref> The service broadcasts 24 hours a day. The World Service states that its aim is to be "the world's best-known and most-respected voice in international broadcasting",<ref name="auto">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2009/06/090609_annual_review2009_aims.shtml|title=Annual Review 2008/2009|work=BBC News|access-date=8 April 2010|archive-date=2 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602035747/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2009/06/090609_annual_review2009_aims.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> while retaining a "balanced British view" of international developments.<ref name="BBC protocol">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/protocols/b4_bbcworldservice.txt|title=BBC protocol|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=20 December 2019|archive-date=22 July 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722205414/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/protocols/b4_bbcworldservice.txt|url-status=live}}</ref> Former director [[Peter Horrocks]] visualised the organisation as fighting an "[[information war]]" of [[soft power]] against Russian and Chinese international [[state media]], including [[RT (TV network)|RT]].<ref name=fac-20110517>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmfaff/1058/1058.pdf |title=The Implications of Cuts to the BBC World Service: Responses from the Government and the BBC to the Committee's Sixth Report of Session 2010–12 |id=HC 1058 |publisher=UK Parliament |work=Foreign Affairs Committee |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref><ref name="The Broken BBC">{{cite web |last1=Lewis |first1=Gavin |title=The Broken BBC |url=https://monthlyreview.org/2016/04/01/the-broken-bbc/ |website=The Monthly Review |date=April 2016 |access-date=17 February 2022 |archive-date=17 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217085203/https://monthlyreview.org/2016/04/01/the-broken-bbc/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="The Guardian">{{cite web |last1=Halliday |first1=Josh |title=BBC World Service fears losing information war as Russia Today ramps up pressure |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/dec/21/bbc-world-service-information-war-russia-today |work=The Guardian |access-date=17 February 2022 |date=December 21, 2014 |archive-date=17 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217083806/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/dec/21/bbc-world-service-information-war-russia-today |url-status=live }}</ref> As such, the BBC has been banned in both Russia and China, the former following its [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|2022 invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3121510/china-bans-bbc-world-news-saying-it-seriously-violated-chinese |website=South China Morning Post |publisher=Bloomberg |access-date=3 April 2022|title=China bans BBC World News from broadcasting inside the country |date=12 February 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Russia blocks access to BBC and Voice of America websites |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/russia-restricts-access-bbc-russian-service-radio-liberty-ria-2022-03-04/ |website=Reuters |date=4 March 2022 |agency=Reuters |access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref> The director of the BBC World Service is [[Jonathan Munro]]. The controller of the BBC World Service in English is Jon Zilkha. ==History== {{For timeline}} ===Early years=== The BBC World Service began on 19 December 1932 as the '''BBC Empire Service''', broadcasting on [[Shortwave listening|shortwave]]<ref name="WS closures 2005 analysis">{{cite news|last= Repa|first= Jan|title= Analysis: BBC's voice in Europe|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4375652.stm|access-date= 16 July 2012|work= BBC News|date= 25 October 2005|archive-date= 27 July 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080727002945/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4375652.stm|url-status= live}}</ref> and aimed principally at [[English language|English speakers]] across the [[British Empire]]. In his first [[Royal Christmas Message#George V|Christmas Message]] (1932), [[King George V]] characterised the service as intended for "men and women, so cut off by the snow, the desert, or the sea, that only voices out of the air can reach them".<ref name="Historic moments 30s">{{cite web|title= Historic moments from the 1930s|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1122_75_years/page2.shtml|publisher= BBC World Service|access-date= 16 July 2012|archive-date= 2 May 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130502144345/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1122_75_years/page2.shtml|url-status= live}}</ref> First hopes for the Empire Service were low. The [[Director-General of the BBC|Director-General]], [[John Reith, 1st Baron Reith|Sir John Reith]], said in the opening programme: <blockquote>Don't expect too much in the early days; for some time we shall transmit comparatively simple programmes, to give the best chance of intelligible reception and provide evidence as to the type of material most suitable for the service in each zone. The programmes will neither be very interesting nor very good.<ref name="Historic moments 30s"/><ref>Transcribed from recording on World Service 75th Anniversary DVD; full extract transmitted as part of opening program – the Reith Global Debate – of the 'Free to Speak' 75th anniversary season</ref></blockquote> This address was read out five times as the BBC broadcast it live to different parts of the world. === World War II === The BBC would continue to claim independence from the Government during the war,{{sfn | Plock | 2021 | p=}}{{rp|25}} but as Asa Briggs noted, a complete picture of the wartime BBC would have to include 'persistent references' to the various connected agencies of the government.{{sfn | Briggs | 1995 | p=}}{{rp|393}} Chiefly, the [[Political Warfare Executive]], responsible for all broadcasts to Europe.{{sfn | Milland | 1998 | pp=353–373}}{{rp|354}} On 3 January 1938, the first foreign-language service was launched—in Arabic. Programmes in German, Italian and French began broadcasting on 27 September 1938 projecting the British quest for peace in the days prior to the conference on the [[Munich Agreement]]. By the end of 1942, the BBC had started broadcasts in all major European languages. The Empire Service was renamed the '''BBC Overseas Service''' in November 1939, supplemented by the addition of a dedicated BBC European Service from 1941. Funding for these services—known administratively as the '''External Services of the BBC'''—came not from the domestic [[radio licence|licence fee]] but from government [[grant-in-aid]] (from the Foreign Office budget).{{Citation needed|date= July 2017}} [[File:Aldwych, Bush House, WC2 - geograph.org.uk - 668798.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bush House]] in London was home to the World Service between 1941 and 2012.]] The External Services broadcast propaganda during the [[Second World War]], on the German-language service {{ill|Londoner Rundfunk|de}} especially against Nazi rule, believed in the early days of the war at least to have weak support.{{sfn | Seul | 2015 | pp=378–396}} Its French service ''{{lang|fr|[[Radio Londres]]}}'' also sent coded messages to the [[French Resistance]]. [[George Orwell]] broadcast many news bulletins on the '''Eastern Service''' during the Second World War.<ref>{{Cite book|title= Orwell: The War Broadcasts|isbn= 0-563-20327-7|editor-last=West|editor-first= W. J.|year= 1985|publisher= Duckworth & Co/BBC}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Orwell: The War Commentaries|isbn=978-0-563-20349-0|editor-last=West|editor-first=W. J.|year= 1985|publisher= Duckworth & Co/BBC}}</ref><ref name="WS 40s history">{{cite web|title= Historic moments from the 1940s|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1122_75_years/page3.shtml|publisher= BBC World Service|access-date= 16 July 2012|archive-date= 8 June 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120608142236/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1122_75_years/page3.shtml|url-status= live}}</ref> The [[Belgian government in exile]] broadcast from [[Radio Belgique]]. === 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. ===Twenty-first century=== [[File:BBC World Service red.svg|thumb|upright|BBC World Service logo used from 2008 to 2019]] [[File:BBC World Service 2019.svg|thumb|upright|BBC World Service logo used from 2019 to 2022]] On 25 October 2005, the BBC announced that broadcasts in [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Croatian language|Croatian]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Greek language|Greek]], Hungarian, [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]], Polish, [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Slovene language|Slovene]] and [[Thai language|Thai]] would end by March 2006, to finance the launch in 2007 of television news services in [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and [[Persian language|Persian]].<ref name="BBC East Europe voices silenced">{{cite news |title= BBC East Europe voices silenced |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4550102.stm |access-date= 18 July 2012 |work= BBC News |date= 21 December 2005 |quote= Announcing the cuts in October, the director of the BBC World Service, Nigel Chapman, said that the European services were a beacon of free and independent information during the Cold War, but were now in decline. |archive-date= 24 December 2005 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051224210437/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4550102.stm |url-status= live }}</ref> Additionally, [[Romanian language|Romanian]] broadcasts ceased on 1 August 2008.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7473778.stm |title= BBC shuts down Romanian service |date= 25 June 2008 |work= BBC News |access-date= 29 July 2017 |quote= The BBC World Service is to close its Romanian language service, after 69 years of broadcasting.<br>Transmissions in Romanian will cease on 1 August. |archive-date= 3 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303185334/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7473778.stm |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2007, the last FM broadcast of [[BBC News Russian]] was discontinued at the order of the Russian government. [[Finam Holdings|Finam]] owned Bolshoye Radio, the last of three services to drop the BBC Russia broadcasts. A spokesman for the organization claimed that 'any media which is government-financed is propaganda – it's a fact, it's not negative'.<ref name="BbcOffFm">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6951710.stm | date=17 August 2007 | title=BBC radio ordered off Russian FM| access-date=18 August 2007|work=BBC News}}</ref> Reports put the development in the context of criticism of the Russian government for curbing media freedom ahead of the [[2008 Russian presidential election]].<ref name="BbcOffFm" /> [[Reporters Without Borders]] condemned the move as censorship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23321 |title=BBC dropped from Russia's FM waveband today |access-date=24 January 2014 |publisher=[[Reporters without Borders]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030180406/http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=23321 |archive-date=30 October 2007 }}</ref> In 2011, BBC Kyrgyz service newsreader and producer {{ill|Arslan Koichiev|ky}} resigned from his BBC post after revelations and claims of involvement in the [[Kyrgyz Revolution of 2010|Kyrgyzstan revolution of April 2010]]. He had been based in London, but often travelled to Kyrgyzstan and used BBC resources to agitate against President [[Kurmanbek Bakiyev]], appearing on a Kyrgyz radio station under a pseudonym with a disguised voice. One of the leaders of the revolution, Aliyasbek Alymkulov, named the producer as his mentor and claimed that they had discussed preparations for the revolution.<ref name=revolt>{{cite news |date=7 April 2011 |title=BBC man quits after claims he helped to topple president in Kyrgyzstan revolt |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/bbc-man-quits-after-claims-he-helped-to-topple-president-in-kyrgyzstan-revolt-6389723.html |work=Evening Standard |location=London |access-date=5 April 2018 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202081421/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/bbc-man-quits-after-claims-he-helped-to-topple-president-in-kyrgyzstan-revolt-6389723.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to London newspaper the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', "Mr Alymkulov claimed that Koichiev arranged secret meetings "through the BBC" and organised the march at the presidential palace on 7 April 2010"<ref name=revolt/> In October 2010, the UK government announced that it was reducing the service's revenue funding by 16% and its capital funding by 52% by 2017. This necessitated over 650 staff leaving. Funding from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office would end in April 2014, when funding would mainly be from the television licence fee. From 2010, the service started transforming from a mainly radio-based operation to multi-media.<ref name=nao-20160607>{{cite web |url=https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BBC-World-Service-1.pdf |title=BBC World Service |pages=5–6 |publisher=National Audit Office |date=7 June 2016 |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref> In January 2011, the closure of the Albanian, Macedonian, and Serbian, as well as English for the Caribbean and Portuguese for Africa, services was announced. The British government announced that the three [[Balkans|Balkan]] countries had wide access to international information, and so broadcasts in the local languages had become unnecessary.<ref>{{cite news |title= BBC World Service to cut five language services |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12277413 |access-date= 18 July 2012 |work= BBC News |date= 26 January 2011 |archive-date= 26 January 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110126044945/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12277413 |url-status= live }}</ref> This decision reflected the financial situation the Corporation faced following transfer of responsibility for the Service from the Foreign Office, so that it would in future have been funded from within licence-fee income. The Russian, Ukrainian, Mandarin Chinese, Turkish, Vietnamese and Spanish for Cuba services ceased radio broadcasting, and the Hindi, Indonesian, Kyrgyz, Nepali, Swahili, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi services ceased shortwave transmissions. As part of the 16% budget cut, 650 jobs were eliminated.<ref name="WS cuts jan 2011">{{cite news |title= BBC World Service cuts outlined to staff |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12283356 |access-date= 18 July 2012 |work= BBC News |date= 26 January 2011 |archive-date= 5 January 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120105192548/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12283356 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Plunkett |first= John |title= BBC World Service to 'cut up to 650 jobs' |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/25/bbc-world-service-jobs |access-date= 18 July 2012 |newspaper= The Guardian |location= London |date= 26 January 2011 |archive-date= 21 September 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921002915/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jan/25/bbc-world-service-jobs |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2012, London staff moved from [[Bush House]] to [[Broadcasting House]], so co-located with other [[BBC News]] departments. About 35% of its 1,518 full-time equivalent staff in 2014 were based overseas at 115 locations. From 2014 the service became part of [[BBC World News|World Service Group]] under the Director of BBC News and Current Affairs.<ref name=nao-20160607/> From 2016, 1,100 additional staff were recruited as part of an expansion of the World Service, about a 70% increase, funded by the [[Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office]] providing £254 million/year for five years, partly a reversal of the government decision that the television licence fee would fund the service from 2014.<ref name=nao-20231217>{{cite web |url=https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BBC-savings-and-reforms.pdf |title=BBC savings and reform |id=HC 958 |publisher=National Audit Office |pages=s6,22 |date=17 December 2023 |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=holl-20221124/> This was the biggest service expansion since [[World War II]].<ref name=bbcws-20210908>{{cite web |url=https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/36976/pdf/ |title=Written evidence submitted by BBC World Service |id=TFP0035 |work=BBC World Service |via=Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament |date=8 September 2021 |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref> In 2022, a new London-based China unit was in development, described by the government as "focused on exposing the challenges and realities currently facing China and its fight for global influence".<ref name=hansard-20221201/> ==Operation== [[File:Broadcasting House and East Wing.jpg|thumb|upright|The BBC World Service is located in [[Broadcasting House]], London.]] The Service broadcasts from [[Broadcasting House]] in London, which is also headquarters of the corporation. It is located in the newer parts of the building, which contains radio and television studios for use by the overseas language services. The building also contains an integrated newsroom used by the international World Service, the international television channel [[BBC World News]], the domestic television and radio [[BBC News]] bulletins, the [[BBC News (British TV channel)|BBC News Channel]] and [[BBC Online]]. At its launch, the Service was located along with most radio output in Broadcasting House. However, following the explosion of a [[parachute mine]] nearby on 8 December 1940, it relocated to premises away from the likely target of Broadcasting House.<ref name="West end at war">{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Ronan|title=BBC Broadcasting House|url=http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__114_path__0p2p.aspx|publisher=West End at War.org.uk|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=6 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606002121/http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__114_path__0p2p.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The Overseas service relocated to [[Oxford Street]] while the European service moved temporarily to the emergency broadcasting facilities at [[Maida Vale Studios]].<ref name="West end at war"/> The European services moved permanently into [[Bush House]] towards the end of 1940, completing the move in 1941, with the Overseas services joining them in 1958.<ref name="Bush House WS">{{cite news|title=Why is the HQ called Bush House?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2009/03/000000_bushhouse_name.shtml|work=Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=BBC World Service|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=3 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303171309/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2009/03/000000_bushhouse_name.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Bush House subsequently became the home of the BBC World Service and the building itself has gained a global reputation with the audience of the service.<ref name="Bush House WS"/><ref name="BBC Story Bush House">{{cite web|title=BBC Buildings – Bush House|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/collections/buildings/bush_house.shtml|work=The BBC Story|publisher=BBC|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=29 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629173014/http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/collections/buildings/bush_house.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> However, the building was vacated in 2012 as a result of the Broadcasting House redevelopment<ref name="Bush House WS"/> and the end of the building's lease that year;<ref name="Bush house move end BBC News">{{cite news|title=BBC World Service leaves Bush House|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18810309|access-date=18 July 2012|work=BBC News|date=12 July 2012|archive-date=2 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102201334/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18810309|url-status=live}}</ref> the first service to move was the Burmese Service on 11 March 2012<ref>{{cite web|title=New Broadcasting House comes alive|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/broadcastinghouse/news_events.shtml|work=News and Events|publisher=BBC|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=19 April 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419172122/http://www.bbc.co.uk/broadcastinghouse/news_events.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and the final broadcast from Bush House was a news bulletin broadcast at 11.00[[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]] on 12 July 2012.<ref name="Bush house move end BBC News"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Bush House: BBC World Service moves home|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18801251|access-date=18 July 2012|work=BBC News|date=12 July 2012|archive-date=16 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716072452/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18801251|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Higham|first=Nick|title=BBC World Service leaves Bush House|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18807778|access-date=18 July 2012|work=BBC News|date=12 July 2012|archive-date=18 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718064307/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18807778|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Sabbagh|first=Dan|title=Bush House ceases BBC broadcasts after 71 years|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jul/12/bush-house-ceases-bbc-broadcasts|access-date=18 July 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=12 July 2012|archive-date=20 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920163204/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jul/12/bush-house-ceases-bbc-broadcasts|url-status=live}}</ref> The BBC World Service encompasses an English 24-hour global radio network and separate services in 27 other languages. News and information is available in these languages on the BBC website, with many having [[RSS]] feeds and specific versions for use on mobile devices, and some also offer email notification of stories. In addition to the English service, 18 of the language services broadcast a radio service using the [[Shortwave radio|short wave]], [[AM broadcasting|AM]] or [[FM broadcasting|FM]] bands. These are also available to listen live or can be listened to later (usually for seven days) over the Internet and, in the case of seven language services, can be downloaded as [[podcast]]s. News is also available from the BBC News 'app', which is available from both [[iTunes]] and the [[Google Play|Google Play Store]]. In recent years,{{when|date=March 2023}} video content has also been used by the World Service: 16 language services show video reports on the website, and the Arabic and Persian services have their own television channels. TV is also used to broadcast the radio service, with local cable and satellite operators providing the English network (and occasionally some local language services) free to air. The English service is also available on [[digital radio]] in the UK and Europe.<ref name="in-languages">{{cite web|title=BBC News in Languages|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/languages/index.shtml|publisher=BBC|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=18 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718065057/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/languages/index.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How and When to Listen|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmeguide/|publisher=BBC World Service|access-date=18 July 2012|archive-date=18 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120718091721/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmeguide/|url-status=live}}</ref> Traditionally, the Service relied on shortwave broadcasts, because of their ability to overcome barriers of censorship, distance, and spectrum scarcity. The BBC has maintained a worldwide network of [[shortwave relay station]]s since the 1940s, mainly in former British colonies. These cross-border broadcasts have also been used in special circumstances for emergency messages to [[British subject]]s abroad, such as the advice to evacuate [[Jordan]] during the [[Black September]] incidents of September 1970. These facilities were privatised in 1997 as Merlin Communications, and later acquired and operated as part of a wider network for multiple broadcasters by [[VT Communications]] (now part of [[Babcock International Group]]). It is also common for BBC programmes to air on [[Voice of America]] or [[ORF (broadcaster)|ORF]] transmitters, while their programming is relayed by a station located inside the UK. However, since the 1980s, [[Broadcast satellite|satellite distribution]] has made it possible for local stations to relay BBC programmes.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} BBC World Service is not regulated by [[Ofcom]] as the BBC generally is. Instead, the BBC is responsible for editorial independence and setting strategic direction. It defines the remit, scope, annual budget and main commitments of the World Service, and agrees "objectives, targets and priorities" with the British [[Foreign Secretary (United Kingdom)|Foreign Secretary]] in a document named the BBC World Service Licence. The Chair of the [[BBC Board]] and the Foreign Secretary (or representatives) meet at least annually to review performance against these objectives, priorities and targets.<ref name=bbc-regulation>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/governance/regulation |title=Regulation |publisher=BBC |access-date=18 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=bbc-2018>{{cite web |url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/managementstructure/structureandgovernance/world_service_licence.pdf |title=BBC World Service Licence |publisher=BBC |year=2018 |access-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815040009/http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/managementstructure/structureandgovernance/world_service_licence.pdf |archive-date=15 August 2022}}</ref> ==Funding== The World Service was funded for decades by [[grant-in-aid]] through the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] until 1 April 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/public-diplomacy/world-service |title= About Us: BBC World Service |date= 22 October 2010 |work= British Foreign & Commonwealth Office |access-date= 9 January 2011 |archive-date= 31 December 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101231002104/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/public-diplomacy/world-service |url-status= live }}</ref> Since then it has been funded by a mixture of the United Kingdom's [[Television licensing in the United Kingdom|television licence fee]], limited advertising,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/guidelines/editorialguidelines/pdfs/250315-World-Service-Group-External-Relationships-Funding.pdf|title=Funding|website=Downloads.bbc.co.uk|access-date=31 October 2019|archive-date=18 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118124239/http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rmhttp/guidelines/editorialguidelines/pdfs/250315-World-Service-Group-External-Relationships-Funding.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> profits of [[BBC Studios]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/annual-review-2014/our-business.aspx |title=BBC Worldwide - Annual Review 2013/14 - Our Business |access-date=7 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150422073204/http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/annual-review-2014/our-business.aspx |archive-date=22 April 2015 }}</ref> and [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office]] funding.<ref name=holl-20221124/> From 2014, the service was guaranteed £289 million (allocated over a five-year period ending in 2020) from the UK government.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/23/bbc-world-service-receive-289m-from-government|title= BBC World Service to receive £289m from government|first= Tara|last= Conlan|date= 23 November 2015|newspaper= [[The Guardian]]|access-date= 1 December 2016|archive-date= 18 November 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201118140221/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/23/bbc-world-service-receive-289m-from-government|url-status= live}}</ref> In 2016, the government announced that the licence fee funding for the World Service would be £254 million/year for the five years from 2017.<ref name=holl-20221124/> From 2016 to 2022, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office contributed over £470 million to the World Service via its World 2020 Programme, about 80% of which is categorised as Overseas Development Assistance, amounting to about a quarter of the World Service budget.<ref name=hansard-20221201>{{cite web |url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2022-12-01/debates/E550098A-BCAE-4755-8823-869F618497C1/BBCWorldService |title=Debate: BBC World Service |author=Lord Zac Goldsmith (Minister of State FCDO) |publisher=UK Parliament |work=Lord's Hansard |id=Column 1899 |date=1 December 2022 |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref> In November 2022, the government confirmed the continuing involvement of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in funding the World Service.<ref name=holl-20221124>{{cite web |url=https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/bbc-world-service-soft-power-and-funding-challenges/ |title=BBC World Service: Soft power and funding challenges |last=Evennett |first=Heather |publisher=UK Parliament |work=House of Lords Library |date=24 November 2022 |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=bbc-20210501>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2021/world-service-funding |title=BBC World Service to receive continued additional funding from Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office |publisher=BBC |date=1 May 2021 |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref> ==Languages== {{see also|BBC Arabic|BBC Bangla|BBC Hausa|BBC Nepali|BBC Mundo|BBC Persian|BBC Punjabi|BBC Russian Service|BBC Somali Service|BBC Ukrainian|BBC Urdu}} This table lists the various language services operated by the BBC World Service with start and closure dates, where known/applicable.<ref name="in-languages" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/history/audio.shtml |title=75 Years – BBC World Service | Multi-lingual audio | BBC World Service |publisher=BBC |access-date=16 February 2011 |archive-date=8 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108013718/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/history/audio.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>History of International Broadcasting ([[IEEE]]), Volume I.</ref> === Current services<span class="anchor" id="Current language list"></span> === {|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left:0.5em;" |- ! Language ! data-sort-type="date"| Start date ! data-sort-type="date"| Close date ! Website/notes ! Radio ! TV ! Online |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Oromo language|Afaan Oromoo]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 18 September 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo BBC Afaan Oromoo] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.short-wave.info/index.php?language=Oromo&station=BBC|title=Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule for BBC in OROMO|accessdate=10 January 2025|publisher=Short-Wave.Info}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Amharic language|Amharic]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 18 September 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/amharic BBC Amharic] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/amharic/bbc_amharic_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=am|title=ያድምጡ}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[BBC Arabic|Arabic]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 3 January 1938 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 27 January 2023 (Radio Service) | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/arabic BBC Arabic] | {{no}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 30 November 1994 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/azeri BBC Azeri] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Bengali language|Bengali]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 11 October 1941 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/bengali BBC Bangla] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Burmese language|Burmese]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 2 September 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/burmese BBC Burmese] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/burmese/bbc_burmese_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=my|title=ဘီဘီစီ မြန်မာပိုင်း ရေဒီယို}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Cantonese Chinese]] | 5 May 1941 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen BBC Chinese] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin Chinese]] | 19 May 1941 | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen BBC Chinese] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[English language|English]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 25 December 1936 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice BBC World Service] | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[African French|French for Africa]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 20 June 1960 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/french BBC French] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/afrique/bbc_afrique_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=fr|title=BBC Afrique Radio}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 1 March 1942<br />2 October 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 3 September 1944 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/gujarati BBC Gujarati] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Hausa language|Hausa]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 13 March 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/hausa BBC Hausa] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/hausa/bbc_hausa_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=ha|title=BBC Hausa Rediyo}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Hindi]] | 11 May 1940 | | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi BBC Hindi] | {{No}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Igbo language|Igbo]] | style="vertical-align: top;" |19 February 2018<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43076923 |title=BBC Igbo and Yoruba launched in Nigeria |date=19 February 2018 |work=[[BBC News Online]] |access-date=20 June 2018 |archive-date=24 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624230538/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43076923 |url-status=live }}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" |[https://www.bbc.com/igbo BBC Igbo] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 30 October 1949 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/indonesian BBC Indonesian] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Japanese language|Japanese]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 4 July 1943<br />17 October 2015 (relaunch)<ref>{{cite news | last = Russell | first = Jon | date = 17 October 2015 | title = BBC Launches Japanese Language News Site To Extend Its Global Advertising Reach | url = https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/16/bbc-launches-japanese-language-news-site-to-extend-its-global-advertising-reach/ | work = [[TechCrunch]] | access-date = 29 July 2020 | archive-date = 29 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200729063513/https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/16/bbc-launches-japanese-language-news-site-to-extend-its-global-advertising-reach/ | url-status = live }}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 March 1991 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/japanese BBC Japanese] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite news | date = 19 July 2018 | title = BBC News launches new streaming service on Yahoo! JAPAN | url = https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/bbc-news-launches-new-streaming-service-on-yahoo!-japan | work = [[Japan Today]] | access-date = 29 July 2020 | archive-date = 29 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200729064051/https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/bbc-news-launches-new-streaming-service-on-yahoo!-japan | url-status = live }}</ref> | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Kinyarwanda language|Kinyarwanda]] and [[Kirundi]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 8 September 1994 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/gahuza BBC Gahuza] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/gahuza/bbc_gahuza_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=rw|title=Radio BBC Gahuza}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Korean language|Korean]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 26 September 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/korean BBC Korean] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/korean/bbc_korean_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=ko|title=BBC 코리아 라디오}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Kyrgyz language|Kyrgyz]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 1 April 1995 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/kyrgyz BBC Kyrgyz] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Marathi language|Marathi]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="1 March 1942" | 1 March 1942<br />31 December 1944<br />2 October 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="25 December 1958" | 3 September 1944<br />25 December 1958 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/marathi BBC Marathi] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Nepali language|Nepali]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 7 June 1969 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali BBC Nepali] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/nepali/bbc_nepali_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=ne|title=बीबीसी नेपाली रेडियो}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Nigerian Pidgin]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 21 August 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/pidgin BBC Pidgin] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Pashto language|Pashto]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 15 August 1981 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[BBC Pashto]] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/pashto/bbc_pashto_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=ps|title=بي بي سي افغانستان (پښتو خپرونه)}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Persian language|Persian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 28 December 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/ BBC Persian] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/persian/bbc_dari_radio/liveradio|title=بی بی سی افغانستان (برنامه های دری)|language=prs|publisher=BBC|accessdate=18 January 2025}}</ref> | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Brazilian Portuguese|Portuguese for Brazil]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 14 March 1938 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/ BBC Brasil] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 2 October 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/punjabi/ BBC Punjabi] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Russian language|Russian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="7 October 1942" | 7 October 1942<br />24 March 1946 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/russian BBC Russian] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Serbian language|Serbian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="29 September 1991" |29 September 1991<br />26 March 2018 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="" |25 February 2011 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/serbian/lat BBC Serbian] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="10 March 1942" | 10 March 1942<br />11 March 1990 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala BBC Sinhala] | {{No}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Somali language|Somali]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 18 July 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/somali BBC Somali] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/somali/bbc_somali_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=so|title=Raadiyaha BBC Soomaali}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Spanish language in the Americas|Spanish for Latin America]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 14 March 1938 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/ BBC Mundo] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Swahili language|Swahili]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 27 June 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/swahili BBC Swahili] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/swahili/bbc_swahili_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=sw|title=BBC Swahili Radio}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Tamil language|Tamil]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 3 May 1941 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/tamil BBC Tamil] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Telugu language|Telugu]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 2 October 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/telugu BBC Telugu] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Thai language|Thai]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="27 April 1941" | 27 April 1941<br />3 June 1962 <br />10 July 2014<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/blogcollegeofjournalism/posts/BBC-launches-first-social-media-only-news-service-for-Thailand |title=BBC launches first social media-only news service – for Thailand |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=13 October 2014 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006010032/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/blogcollegeofjournalism/posts/BBC-launches-first-social-media-only-news-service-for-Thailand |url-status=live }}</ref> 16 November 2016 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="" | 5 March 1960<br />13 January 2006 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.facebook.com/BBCThai BBC Thai Facebook page]<br />[https://www.bbc.com/thai BBC Thai] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 18 September 2017 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/tigrinya BBC Tigrinya] | {{Yes}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/tigrinya/bbc_tigrinya_radio/liveradio|accessdate=29 December 2024|publisher=BBC|language=ti|title=ስምዑ}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Turkish language|Turkish]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 20 November 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish BBC Turkish] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 1 June 1992 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/ukrainian BBC Ukrainian] | {{Yes}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Urdu language|Urdu]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 3 April 1949 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/ BBC Urdu] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 30 November 1994 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/uzbek BBC Uzbek] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 6 February 1952 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 26 March 2011 (Radio Service) | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese BBC Vietnamese] | {{no}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 19 February 2018<ref name=":0" /> | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.com/yoruba BBC Yoruba] | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |} === Former services === {|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left:0.5em;" |- ! Language ! data-sort-type="date"| Start date ! data-sort-type="date"| Close date ! Website/notes ! Radio ! TV ! Online |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 14 May 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 8 September 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Albanian language|Albanian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="12 November 1940" | 12 November 1940<br />20 February 1993 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="28 February 2011" | 20 January 1967<br />28 February 2011 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/albanian BBC Albanian Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Belgian French]] and [[Flemish dialects|Belgian Dutch]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 28 September 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 30 March 1952 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 7 February 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 23 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/bulgarian BBC Bulgarian Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Croatian language|Croatian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 29 September 1991 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 January 2006 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/croatian BBC Croatian Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Hokkien Chinese]] | 1 October 1942 | 7 February 1948 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | || |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Czech language|Czech]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 28 February 2006 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/czech BBC Czech Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Danish language|Danish]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 9 April 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 10 August 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Dutch language|Dutch]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 11 April 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 10 August 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Dutch language|Dutch]] for [[Indonesia]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="28 August 1944" | 28 August 1944<br />25 May 1946 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="13 May 1951" | 2 April 1945<br />13 May 1951 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Caribbean English|English for the Caribbean]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 25 December 1976 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 25 March 2011 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/ BBC Caribbean Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Finnish language|Finnish]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 18 March 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="31 December 1997" | 31 December 1997<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/europe/ |title=BBC World Service Europe |publisher=BBC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980520062806/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/europe/ |archive-date=20 May 1998 |quote=Unfortunately, the Finnish Service was closed on the 31st December 1997.}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://web.archive.org/web/19970428015437/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/finnish/index.htm BBC Finnish archived] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[French language in Canada|French for Canada]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 2 November 1942 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 8 May 1980 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[French language|French for Europe]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 27 September 1938 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 March 1995 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[South East Asian French|French for South-East Asia]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 28 August 1944 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 3 April 1955 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[German language|German]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 27 September 1938 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="26 March 1999" | 26 March 1999<ref>{{cite web |last=Kremer |first=Guntram |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/german/ |title=Epilog |work=[[BBC German Service]] |language=de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001109180000/http://www.bbc.co.uk/german/ |archive-date=9 November 2000 |quote=G.K. Der Deutsche Dienst der BBC wurde am 26 März 1999 geschlossen. [G.K. The BBC German service was closed on 26 March 1999.]}}</ref> | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://web.archive.org/web/19970428015446/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/german/index.htm BBC German archived] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Austrian German|German for Austria]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 29 March 1943 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 15 September 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Greek language|Greek]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 30 September 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/greek BBC Greek Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Cypriot Greek|Greek for Cyprus]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 16 September 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 3 June 1951 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 30 October 1949 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 28 October 1968 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 5 September 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/hungarian BBC Hungarian Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 1 December 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 26 June 1944 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Italian language|Italian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 27 September 1938 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 1981 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Kazakh language|Kazakh]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 1 April 1995 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 16 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/kazakh/ BBC Kazakh Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Luxembourgish]] | 29 May 1943 | 30 May 1952 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 6 January 1996 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 4 March 2011 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/macedonian BBC Macedonian Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Malay language|Malay]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 2 May 1941 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 March 1991 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Maltese language|Maltese]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 10 August 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 1981 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 9 April 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 10 August 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Polish language|Polish]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 7 September 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 23 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/polish BBC Polish Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[African Portuguese|Portuguese for Africa]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 4 June 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 25 February 2011 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/portugueseafrica BBC Portuguese for Africa Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Portuguese language|Portuguese for Europe]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 4 June 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 10 August 1957 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Romanian language|Romanian]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 15 September 1939 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 1 August 2008 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/romanian BBC Romanian Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Slovak language|Slovak]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 1941 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 31 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/slovak BBC Slovak Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Slovene language|Slovene]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 22 April 1941 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 23 December 2005 | style="vertical-align: top;" | [https://www.bbc.co.uk/slovene BBC Slovene Archive] | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Swedish language|Swedish]] | style="vertical-align: top;" | 12 February 1940 | style="vertical-align: top;" | 4 March 1961 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- | style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Patagonian Welsh|Welsh for Patagonia, Argentina]] | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="1 January 1945" | 1945 | style="vertical-align: top;" data-sort-value="31 December 1946" | 1946 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |- style="vertical-align: top;" | [[Yugoslav language|Yugoslav]] ([[Serbo-Croatian]]) | 15 September 1939 | 28 September 1991 | style="vertical-align: top;" | | {{Yes}} | style="vertical-align: top;" | | style="vertical-align: top;" | |} ==Radio programming in English== {{redirect|Business Daily|the Kenyan newspaper|Business Daily Africa}} [[File:Steve Titherington.jpg|thumb|Steve Titherington - ''BBC World Questions'' broadcasting from Budapest]] The World Service in English mainly broadcasts news and analysis. The mainstays of the current schedule are ''[[Newsday (BBC World Service)|Newsday]]'', ''[[Newshour]]'' and ''The Newsroom''. Daily science programmes include: ''Health Check'', and ''[[Science in Action – BBC World Service Radio|Science in Action]]''. ''[[Sportsworld (radio)|Sportsworld]]'', which often includes live commentary of [[Premier League]] football matches is broadcast at weekends. Other weekend sport shows include ''The Sports Hour'' and [[Stumped (radio)|''Stumped'']], a cricket programme co-produced with [[All India Radio]] and the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]. On Sundays, the discussion programme ''[[The Forum (BBC World Service)|''The Forum'']]'' is broadcast. ''[[Outlook (radio programme)|Outlook]]'' is a human interest programme which was first broadcast in July 1966 and presented for more than thirty years by [[John Tidmarsh]]. ''Trending'' describes itself as "explaining the stories the world is sharing..." Regular music programmes were reintroduced with the autumn schedule in 2015. Many programmes, particularly speech-based ones, are also available as podcasts. ''Business Daily'' is a weekday live international business news programme, which broadcasts from 8:32:30am to 8:59:00am UK time from [[Broadcasting House]] in London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsxs|title=BBC World Service - Business Daily|access-date=1 November 2021|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102211032/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsxs|url-status=live}}</ref> ==Previous radio programming in English== {{more citations needed|section|date=December 2017}}<!--only one paragraph is cited and that's a dead link--> Previous broadcasts included popular music programmes presented by [[John Peel]] and classical music programmes presented by [[Edward Greenfield]]. There have also been religious programmes, of mostly Anglican celebration and often from the Church of [[St. Martin in the Fields]], weekly drama, English-language lessons, and comedy including ''[[Just A Minute]]''. Other notable previous programmes include ''[[Letter from America]]'' by [[Alistair Cooke]], which was broadcast for over fifty years; ''Off the Shelf'' with its daily reading from a novel, biography or history book; ''A Jolly Good Show'', a music request programme presented by [[Dave Lee Travis]]; ''Waveguide'', a radio reception guide; and ''The Merchant Navy Programme'', a show for seafarers presented by Malcolm Billings; ''The Morning Show'', ''Good Morning Africa'' and ''PM'', all presented by [[Pete Myers (radio broadcaster)|Pete Myers]] in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the late 1990s, the station has focused more on news, with bulletins added every half-hour following the outbreak of the [[Iraq War]]. ===News=== News is at the core of the [[broadcast programming|scheduling]]. A five-minute bulletin is generally transmitted at 01 past the hour, with a two-minute summary at 30 past the hour. Sometimes these are separate from other programming, or alternatively made integral to the programme (such as with ''The Newsroom'', ''[[Newshour]]'' or ''[[Newsday (BBC World Service)|Newsday]]''). In October 2024, it was announced that the bulletins would be broadcast on domestic BBC radio stations during the night.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-15 |title=More job cuts announced as BBC radio stations combine further bulletins and programmes |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/10/more-job-cuts-announced-as-bbc-radio-stations-combine-further-bulletins-and-programmes/ |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=RadioToday |language=en-GB}}</ref> During such time slots as weeknights 11pm-12am GMT and that of ''Sportsworld'', no news summaries are broadcast. As part of the BBC's policy for breaking news, the Service is the first to receive a full report for foreign news.<ref name="BBC News works">{{cite web|last=Boaden|first=Helen|date=22 January 2007|title=Editorial Processes – How BBC News works|url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/review_report_research/impartiality_business/f2_news_submission.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207054802/http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/review_report_research/impartiality_business/f2_news_submission.pdf|archive-date=7 February 2017|access-date=11 August 2012|website=|publisher=BBC Trust|page=4}}</ref> ==Availability== ===Americas=== BBC World Service is available by subscription to [[Sirius XM Holdings|Sirius XM's]] [[satellite radio]] service in the United States.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=[[XM Satellite Radio]] |date=26 July 1999 |url=http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1104 |title=BBC World Service and XM announce programming alliance |access-date=17 October 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111180733/http://xmradio.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=1104 |archive-date=11 November 2006 }}</ref> Its Canadian affiliate, [[Sirius XM Canada]], does the same in Canada. More than 300 [[Public broadcasting|public radio]] stations across the US carry World Service news broadcasts—mostly during the overnight and early-morning hours—over [[AM broadcasting|AM]] and [[FM broadcasting#See also|FM]] radio, distributed by [[American Public Media]] (APM).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/press/archive/pr_071212.html |title=BBC World Service Appoints American Public Media as New Distributor in the United States |publisher=APM |date=12 July 2012 |access-date=2 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126101159/http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/press/archive/pr_071212.html |archive-date=26 January 2013 }}</ref> Some public radio stations also carry the World Service in its entirety via [[HD Radio]]. The BBC and [[Public Radio International]] (PRI) co-produce the programme ''[[The World (radio program)|The World]]'' with [[WGBH (FM)|WGBH]] Radio [[Boston]], and the BBC was previously involved with ''[[The Takeaway]]'' morning news programme based at [[WNYC]] in [[New York City]]. BBC World Service programming also airs as part of [[CBC Radio One]]'s ''[[CBC Radio Overnight]]'' schedule in Canada.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} BBC shortwave broadcasts to this region were traditionally enhanced by the Atlantic Relay Station and the Caribbean Relay Company, a station in [[Antigua]] run jointly with [[Deutsche Welle]]. In addition, an exchange agreement with [[Radio Canada International]] gave access to their station in [[New Brunswick]]. However, "changing listening habits" led the World Service to end shortwave radio transmission directed to North America and [[Australasia]] on 1 July 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/foi/docs/annual_reports_and_reviews/annual_report_and_accounts/BBC_Annual_Reports_and_Accounts.htm#page54|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202090014/http://www.bbc.co.uk/foi/docs/annual_reports_and_reviews/annual_report_and_accounts/BBC_Annual_Reports_and_Accounts.htm#page54|url-status=dead|title=Pages 1–136 from BBC AR Cover 03|archive-date=2 February 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/faq/news/story/2005/08/050810_nzandswpacific.shtml |title=BBC World Service | FAQ |publisher=BBC |date=10 August 2005 |access-date=16 February 2011 |archive-date=10 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110052617/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/faq/news/story/2005/08/050810_nzandswpacific.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[shortwave listening|shortwave listener]] coalition formed to oppose the change.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.savebbc.org/press/6_june_2001.html |title=Save the BBC World Service in North America and the Pacific! – BBC to Cut Off 1.2 Million Listeners on July 1 |website=Savebbc.org |date=6 June 2001 |access-date=16 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130004805/http://savebbc.org/press/6_june_2001.html |archive-date=30 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The BBC broadcasts to Central America and South America in several languages. It is possible to receive the [[West Africa|Western African]] shortwave radio broadcasts from eastern North America, but the BBC does not guarantee reception in this area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/schedules/010119_namerica.shtml |title=FAQ | World Service |publisher=BBC |access-date=16 February 2011 |archive-date=18 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918100925/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/schedules/010119_namerica.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> It has ended its specialist programming to the [[Falkland Islands]] but continues to provide a stream of World Service programming to the [[Falkland Islands Radio Service]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/02_february/23/falklands.shtml |title=Press Office – Falkland Islands and BBC to boost home-grown media |publisher=BBC |date=23 February 2006 |access-date=16 February 2011 |archive-date=6 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106014444/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/02_february/23/falklands.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Asia=== For several decades, the World Service's largest audiences have been in Asia, the Middle East, [[Near East]] and South Asia. Transmission facilities in the UK and Cyprus were supplemented by the former BBC Eastern Relay Station in [[Oman]] and the [[BBC Far Eastern Relay Station|Far Eastern Relay Station]] in Singapore, formerly in Malaysia. The East Asian Relay Station moved to [[Thailand]] in 1997 when Hong Kong was [[Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|handed over]] to Chinese sovereignty. The relay station in Thailand was closed during January 2017, and in [[Singapore]] during July 2023;<ref>{{cite news | title = BBC's call will continue after transmissions end | url = https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/bbcs-call-will-continue-after-transmissions-end/MBUUASPXN3PNXAVHUNUTHSVKWA/ | author = Rosaleen Macbrayne | access-date = 30 August 2023 | work = New Zealand Herald }}</ref> currently, a relay station in [[Masirah]], Oman serves the Asian region. Together, these facilities have given the BBC World Service an easily accessible signal in regions where shortwave listening has traditionally been popular. The English shortwave frequencies of 6.195 (49m band), 9.74 (31m band), 15.31/15.36 (19m band) and 17.76/17.79 (16m band) were widely known. On 25 March 2018, the long-established shortwave frequency of 9.74 MHz was changed to 9.9 MHz. The largest audiences are in English, [[Hindi]], [[Urdu]], [[Nepali language|Nepali]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]], [[Marathi language|Marathi]] and other major languages of South Asia, where BBC broadcasters are household names. The [[Persian language|Persian]] service is the ''de facto'' national broadcaster of [[Afghanistan]], along with its Iranian audience. The World Service is available up to eighteen hours a day in English across most parts of Asia, and in Arabic for the Middle East. With the addition of relays in Afghanistan and Iraq these services are accessible in most of the Middle and Near East in the evening. In Singapore, the BBC World Service in English has been carried on [[FM broadcasting|FM]] alongside domestic stations since 1976, via a relay operated by the country's state-owned broadcaster [[Mediacorp]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2011-03-31 |title=How to listen to BBC World Service in South-East Asia |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-radio-and-tv-12927616 |access-date=2025-03-10 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Press Office - BBC and MediaCorp renew agreement on transmission in Singapore |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories//2005/07_july/06/singapore.shtml |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> For many years [[Radio Television Hong Kong]] broadcast BBC World Service 24/7 but as of 12 February 2021, Hong Kong has banned the BBC's World Service radio from its airwaves, following swiftly on the heels of China's decision to bar its World News television channels, seemingly in retaliation for Ofcom revoking the UK broadcasting licence of China Global Television Network. In the [[Philippines]], [[DZRJ-AM|DZRJ 810 AM]] and its FM sister station [[DZRJ-FM|RJFM 100.3]] broadcasts the BBC World Service in English from 06:00 to 20:00 [[Philippine Standard Time|PHT]] from Mondays to Saturdays. Although this region has seen the launch of the only two foreign language television channels, several other services have had their radio services closed as a result of budget cuts and redirection of resources.<ref>{{cite news | title = BBC Thai service ends broadcasts | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4609860.stm | author = Clare Harkey | date = 13 March 2006 | access-date = 8 November 2008 | work = BBC News | archive-date = 18 December 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081218021705/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4609860.stm | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12864041 |title=BBC Chinese Service makes final broadcast in Mandarin |author=Vivien Marsh |publisher=BBC |date=28 March 2011 |access-date=25 October 2011 |archive-date=11 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511224200/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12864041 |url-status=live }}</ref> Japan and Korea have little tradition of World Service listening, although during the Second World War and in the 1970s to 1980s, shortwave listening was popular in Japan. In those two countries, the BBC World Service was only available via shortwave and the Internet. As of September 2007, a satellite transmission (subscription required) became available by Skylife (Channel 791) in South Korea. In November 2016, the BBC World Service announced it plans to start broadcasts in Korean. ''BBC Korean'', a radio and web service, started on 25 September 2017.<ref name=38north-20170926>{{cite web |url=http://www.38north.org/2017/09/mwilliams092617/ |title=Option for North Korean Radio Listeners |last=Williams |first=Martyn |publisher=U.S.-Korea Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies |work=38 North |date=26 September 2017 |access-date=28 September 2017 |archive-date=27 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927034911/http://www.38north.org/2017/09/mwilliams092617/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ====Jamming==== {{Further|Radio jamming|Radio jamming in China}} The Soviet Union, Iran, [[Iraq]] and [[Myanmar]]/Burma have all [[Radio jamming|jammed]] the BBC in the past. [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]] was heavily jammed by the People's Republic of China until shortwave transmissions for that service ceased<ref name="bbc-20110328">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12864041 |title=BBC Chinese Service makes final broadcast in Mandarin |first=Vivien |last=Marsh |publisher=BBC |date=28 March 2011 |access-date=13 March 2014 |archive-date=27 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227080708/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12864041 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="guardian-20110320">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/mar/20/bbc-world-service-us-funding |title=BBC World Service to sign funding deal with US state department |first=Ben |last=Dowell |newspaper=The Guardian |date=20 March 2011 |access-date=13 March 2014 |archive-date=11 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311160518/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/mar/20/bbc-world-service-us-funding |url-status=live }}</ref> but China continues to jam transmissions in [[Uzbek language|Uzbek]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/10_october/15/uzbek_jammed.shtml |title=Press Office – Uzbek language broadcasts jammed |publisher=BBC |access-date=15 March 2014 |archive-date=14 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714022716/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/10_october/15/uzbek_jammed.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="parliament1">{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmfaff/267/267we06.htm |title=House of Commons – Foreign Affairs: Written evidence from the BBC World Service |website=Publications.parliament.uk |access-date=15 March 2014 |archive-date=14 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314131836/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmfaff/267/267we06.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> and has since started to jam transmissions in English throughout Asia.<ref name="parliament1"/><ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=Plunkett |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/feb/25/bbc-condemns-china-jamming-world-service |title=BBC condemns China's 'deliberate' jamming of World Service broadcasts | Media |newspaper=The Guardian |date= 25 February 2013|access-date=15 March 2014 |archive-date=14 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314115802/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/feb/25/bbc-condemns-china-jamming-world-service |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Europe=== The BBC World Service is broadcast in Berlin on 94.8 MHz. FM relays are also available in Ceske Budjovice, Karlovy Vary, Plzen, Usti nad Labem, Zlin and Prague in the Czech Republic, Pristina, Riga, Tallinn, Tirana and Vilnius. The station is also available in Reykjavík, Iceland on 94.5 MHz FM.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC World Service coming back to Iceland |url=https://icelandmag.is/article/bbc-world-service-coming-back-iceland |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=Icelandmag |language=en}}</ref> A BBC World Service channel is available on [[DAB+]] in Brussels and Flanders and Amsterdam, the Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam. Following a national reorganisation of DAB multiplexes in October 2017, the station is available on DAB+ across the whole of [[Denmark]].<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC World Service joins new Danish DAB+ network|url=http://www.a516digital.com/2017/10/bbc-world-service-joins-new-danish-dab.html|access-date=2 October 2017|archive-date=3 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030312/http://www.a516digital.com/2017/10/bbc-world-service-joins-new-danish-dab.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The World Service employed a [[Orfordness transmitting station|medium wave transmitter]] at [[Orford Ness]] to provide English-language coverage to Europe, including on the [[frequency]] 648 [[kHz]] (which could be heard in parts of the south-east of England during the day and most of the UK after dark). Transmissions on this frequency were stopped on 27 March 2011, as a consequence of the budgetary constraints imposed on the BBC World Service in the 2010 budget review.<ref>{{cite web|title=BBC World Service: The closure of 648 kHz medium wave|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2011/02/110208_648khz_mw_closure.shtml|publisher=BBC|access-date=11 August 2012|archive-date=2 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302130012/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2011/02/110208_648khz_mw_closure.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> A second channel (1296 kHz) traditionally broadcast in various Central European languages, but this frequency has also been discontinued and in 2005 it began regular English-language transmissions via the [[Digital Radio Mondiale]] (DRM) format.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/faq/news/story/2005/09/050907_drm_launch_release.shtml|title=BBC Launches DRM Service in Europe|publisher=BBC World Service|date=7 September 2005|access-date=15 November 2006|archive-date=29 December 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061229085829/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/faq/news/story/2005/09/050907_drm_launch_release.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> This is a digital shortwave technology that VT expects to become the standard for cross-border transmissions in developed countries. In the 1990s, the BBC purchased and constructed large medium wave and FM networks in the former Soviet bloc, particularly the Czech (BBC Czech Section), Slovak Republics (BBC Slovak Section), Poland ([[BBC Polish Section]]) (where it was a national network) and Russia ([[BBC Russian Service]]). It had built up a strong audience during the Cold War, whilst economic restructuring made it difficult for these governments to refuse Western investment. Many of these facilities have now returned to domestic control, as economic and political conditions have changed. On Monday, 18 February 2008, the BBC World Service stopped analogue shortwave transmissions to Europe. The notice stated, "Increasing numbers of people around the world are choosing to listen to radio on a range of other platforms including FM, satellite and online, with fewer listening on shortwave."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5nCxH0NlsPtyW8WvJ0rwDJP/about-world-service-radio|title=BBC - About World Service radio|website=BBC|access-date=31 October 2019|archive-date=8 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108015309/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5nCxH0NlsPtyW8WvJ0rwDJP/about-world-service-radio|url-status=live}}</ref> It is sometimes possible to pick up the BBC World Service in Europe on SW frequencies targeted at North Africa. The BBC's powerful 198 kHz LW, which broadcasts the domestic [[BBC Radio 4]] to Britain during the day (and carries the World Service during the night) can also be heard in nearby parts of Europe, including the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and parts of France, Germany and Scandinavia. In Malta, BBC News bulletins are carried by a number of radio stations, including Radju Malta and Magic 91.7, owned by national broadcaster PBS Ltd. These are broadcast at various points in the day and supplement news bulletins broadcast in Maltese from the PBS Newsroom. Former BBC shortwave transmitters are located in the United Kingdom at [[Rampisham Down]] in [[Dorset]], [[Woofferton transmitting station|Woofferton]] in [[Shropshire]] and [[Skelton transmitter|Skelton]] in [[Cumbria]]. The former [[British East Mediterranean Relay Station|BBC East Mediterranean Relay Station]] is in [[Cyprus]]. In response to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], the BBC began broadcasting World Service English programming at shortwave frequencies 15.735 MHz and 5875 kHz for receivers in Ukraine and parts of Russia.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Millions of Russians turn to BBC News|publisher=[[BBC]]|location=London|date=2 March 2022|accessdate=3 March 2022|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/millions-of-russians-turn-to-bbc-news|archive-date=2 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302232002/https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2022/millions-of-russians-turn-to-bbc-news|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=BBC Revives Shortwave Radio Dispatches in Ukraine and Draws Ire of Russia|first=Tiffany|last=Hsu|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=3 March 2022|accessdate=3 March 2022|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/business/media/bbc-shortwave-radio-ukraine.html|archive-date=18 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318142410/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/03/business/media/bbc-shortwave-radio-ukraine.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Pacific=== The World Service is available as part of the [[subscription]] Digital Air package (available from [[Foxtel]] and [[Austar]]) in Australia. [[ABC NewsRadio]], [[SBS Radio]], and various [[community radio]] stations also broadcast many programmes. Many of these stations broadcast a straight feed during the midnight to dawn period. It was also available via the [[satellite service]] [[Optus Aurora]], which is encrypted but available without subscription. In Sydney, Australia, a transmission of the service can be received at 152.025 MHz. It is also available on the [[Digital radio in Australia|DAB+ Network in Australia]] on SBS Radio 4 (except during [[Eurovision Song Contest|Eurovision]] and special events). 2MBS-FM 102.5, a classical music station in Sydney, also carries the BBC World Service news programmes at 7a.m. and 8a.m. on weekdays, during its ''Music for a New Day'' breakfast programme. Shortwave relays from Singapore (see Asia, above) continue, but historic relays via [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)]] and [[Radio New Zealand International]] were wound down in the late 1990s. BBC World Service relays on [[Radio Australia]] now carry the BBC Radio news programmes. {{anchor|Auckland Radio Trust}}In the Pacific and New Zealand, the Auckland Radio Trust operates a BBC World Service network as a non-profit donation-funded public broadcaster.<ref name=aucklandfriends>{{cite web|title=Friends|url=http://worldservice.co.nz/Friends.php|website=worldservice.co.nz|publisher=Auckland Radio Trust|access-date=23 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128182515/http://worldservice.co.nz/Friends.php|archive-date=28 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> It broadcasts on 810 kHz in [[Auckland]], 107.0 MHz in [[Whitianga]] and [[Whangamatā]], 107.3 MHz in [[Kaipara Harbour]], 88.2 MHz in [[Suva]] and [[Nadi]], 100.0 MHz in [[Bairiki]] and [[Tarawa]], 101.1 MHz in [[Pohnpei]], 107.6 MHz in [[Port Moresby]], 105.9 MHz in [[Honiara]], 99.0 MHz in [[Port Vila]] and [[Luganville]], and 100.1 MHz in [[Funafuti]].<ref name=aucklandhomepage>{{cite web|title=Home Page|url=http://worldservice.co.nz/Home_Page.php|website=worldservice.co.nz|publisher=Auckland Radio Trust|access-date=23 January 2016|archive-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128182507/http://worldservice.co.nz/Home_Page.php|url-status=live}}</ref> The station also broadcasts local content. In New Zealand, AREC FM carries the BBC World Service 24/7 in the [[Wellington]] region. Available on 107.0 MHz in the CBD, 87.6 MHz in [[Porirua]]/Mana, and 87.9 MHz in [[Waikanae]]/[[Paraparaumu]]. AREC FM is a non-profit donation funded LPFM broadcaster and a subscriber to the [[Community Broadcasting Association of Australia]]'s [[Community Radio Network (Australia)]]. In New Zealand, [[Radio Tarana]] and members of the [[Association of Community Access Broadcasters]] carry some BBC World Service programmes. The BBC World Service was previously available on 1233 kHz in Wellington between 1990 and 1994, and again from 1996 to 1997. ===UK=== The BBC World Service is broadcast on [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB]], [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]], [[Virgin Media]] and [[Sky UK|Sky]] platforms, as well as on [[BBC Sounds]]. It is also broadcast overnight on the frequencies of [[BBC Radio 4]] and the [[Welsh language]] service [[BBC Radio Cymru]] following their closedown at 0000 or 0100 British time. The BBC World Service does not receive funding for broadcasts to the UK. In southeast England, the station could be picked up reliably on medium wave 648 kHz, which was targeted at mainland Europe.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} According to [[RAJAR]], the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 1.2 million with a listening share of 0.7% as of March 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rajar.co.uk/listening/quarterly_listening.php|title=RAJAR|website=www.rajar.co.uk}}</ref> ==Presentation== ===Opening tune=== [[File:BBC World Service Top of Hour.ogg|thumb|A previous BBC World Service signature tune and an example of a top-of-the-hour announcement]] The World Service uses several tunes and sounds to represent the station. A previous signature tune of the station was a five note motif, composed by David Arnold and which comprises a variety of voices declaim "This is the BBC in..." before going on to name various cities (e.g. [[Kampala]], [[Milan]], [[Delhi]], [[Johannesburg]]), followed by the station's slogan and the [[Greenwich Time Signal]].<ref name=signature>{{cite web | title = What is the BBC World Service signature tune? | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2009/03/000000_ws_sig_tune.shtml | publisher = BBC | access-date = 4 September 2010 | archive-date = 9 February 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110209040114/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/institutional/2009/03/000000_ws_sig_tune.shtml | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name=music>{{cite web | title = Audio Identities | url = http://imagedissectors.com/article/46 | author = Robert Weedon | date = 16 December 2009 | access-date = 4 September 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100922192529/http://www.imagedissectors.com/article/46 | archive-date = 22 September 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref> This was heard throughout the network with a few variations – in the UK the full service name was spoken, whereas just the name of the BBC was used outside the UK. The phrase "This is London" was used previously in place of a station slogan. The tune "[[Lillibullero]]" was another well known signature tune of the network following its broadcast previously as part of the top-of-the-hour sequence.<ref name=music/> This piece of music is no longer heard before news bulletins.<ref name=signature/> The use of the tune gained minor controversy because of its background as a [[Protestant]] marching song in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name=signature/><ref name=music/> The ''[[Prince of Denmark's March]]'' (commonly known as the ''Trumpet Voluntary'') was often broadcast by the BBC Radio during [[World War II]], especially when programming was directed to [[occupied Denmark]], as the march symbolised a connection between the two countries. It remained for many years the signature tune of the BBC European Service.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.orbem.co.uk/grams/grams_5.htm | title=BBC Station Idents and Interval Signals | access-date=17 July 2020 | archive-date=28 January 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128103855/http://www.orbem.co.uk/grams/grams_5.htm | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.intervalsignals.net/countries/uk-bbcws.htm | title=Interval Signals Online - United Kingdom (BBC World Service) | access-date=17 July 2020 | archive-date=18 July 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718010028/http://www.intervalsignals.net/countries/uk-bbcws.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:BBC World Service Big Ben 1-1-2009.ogg|thumb|left|The BBC World Service announcement and the chimes of Big Ben at midnight GMT, 1 January 2009]] In addition to these tunes, the BBC World Service also uses several [[interval signal]]s. The English service uses a recording of [[Bow Bells]], made in 1926 and used a symbol of hope during World War II, only replaced for a brief time during the 1970s with the tune to the nursery rhyme "[[Oranges and Lemons]]". The morse code of the letter "[[V]]" has also been used as a signal and was introduced in January 1941 and had several variations including [[timpani]], the first four notes of [[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Beethoven's Fifth Symphony]] (which coincide with the letter "V"), and electronic tones which until recently remained in use for some Western European services. In other languages, the interval signal is three notes, pitched B–B-C. However, these symbols have been used less frequently.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}} ===Time=== The network operates using [[Greenwich Mean Time]], regardless of the time zone and time of year, and is announced on the hour on the English service as "13 hours GMT" (1300 GMT) or "Midnight Greenwich Mean Time" (0000 GMT). The BBC World Service traditionally broadcasts the chimes of [[Big Ben]] in London at the start of a new year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Pips |url=https://greenwichmeantime.com/articles/clocks/bbc-pips/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=greenwichmeantime.com}}</ref> ==="This is London"=== A BBC News report would begin with its [[station identification]] phrase "This is London" or "This is London calling".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/radio/index.htm|title=1950s British Radio Nostalgia|website=www.turnipnet.com|access-date=11 January 2021|archive-date=25 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225231901/http://www.turnipnet.com/whirligig/radio/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The phrase has become a trademark of the BBC World Service, and has been influential in popular culture, such as music. In 1979, the British punk rock band [[The Clash]] released the hit song "[[London Calling (song)|London Calling]]",<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/clash-london-calling-album-facts-923232/|title=The Clash's 'London Calling': 10 Things You Didn't Know|first1=Andy|last1=Greene|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=13 December 2019|access-date=11 January 2021|archive-date=17 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117003930/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/clash-london-calling-album-facts-923232/|url-status=live}}</ref> which was partly based on the station identification phrase.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://enviro-history.com/london-calling.html|title=London Calling|website=enviro-history.com|access-date=11 January 2021|archive-date=13 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113165642/http://enviro-history.com/london-calling.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=June 2024}} During the [[Eurovision Song Contest]], before announcing the contest points from the UK, the broadcaster from the BBC delivering the votes usually begins with "This is London Calling". In 2019, the BBC started a weekly podcast called ''Eurovision Calling'' with Jayde Adams and [[Scott Mills]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Eurovision Calling | publisher=BBC | date=19 February 2021 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0704rjr | access-date=26 February 2021 | archive-date=25 February 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225215009/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0704rjr | url-status=live }}</ref> ==Magazine publishing== {{Unreferenced section|date=March 2022}} The BBC World Service previously published magazines and programme guides: * ''[[London Calling (magazine)|London Calling]]'': listings * ''BBC Worldwide'': included features of interest to an international audience (included ''London Calling'' as an insert) * ''BBC on Air'': mainly listings * ''[[BBC Focus on Africa]]'': current affairs ==Assessments== ===British soft power=== The World Service claims that its aim is to be "the world's best-known and most-respected voice in international broadcasting, thereby bringing benefit to the UK, the BBC, and to audiences around the world",<ref name="auto"/> while retaining a "balanced British view" of international developments.<ref name="BBC protocol"/> In 2022, the ''[[Financial Times]]'' wrote that the World Service "is considered a pillar of British soft power",<ref name=ft-20221207>{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/01233bf1-ebe1-4198-9065-8662ed634577 |title=UK government must boost funding to sustain World Service, says BBC chief |author=Arjun Neil Alim |newspaper=Financial Times |url-access=subscription |date=7 December 2022 |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref> and a [[House of Lords Library]] report noted the widespread recognition of this soft power.<ref name=holl-20221124/> According to the American socialist magazine ''[[Monthly Review]]'' in 2022, former director [[Peter Horrocks]] inferred the World Service's scope to Russian state broadcaster [[RT (TV network)|RT]] as a means of extending international influence and [[soft power]].<ref name=fac-20110517/><ref name="The Broken BBC"/> In 2014, [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP [[John Whittingdale]], chair of the [[Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee]], characterising the BBC's primary mission as fighting an 'Information War' (a role which some{{Example needed|date=August 2022}} media scholars agree to<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Safiri |first1=F |last2=Shahidi |first2=H |title=Great Britain xiii. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) |journal=Encyclopædia Iranica |volume=XI/3 |pages=276–286 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/great-britain-xiii |access-date=19 February 2022 |archive-date=21 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121015816/https://iranicaonline.org/articles/great-britain-xiii |url-status=live }}</ref>), saying: "We are being outgunned massively by the Russians and Chinese and that’s something I’ve raised with the BBC. It is frightening the extent to which we are losing the information war.”<ref name="The Guardian"/> In March 2022, as the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of Ukraine]] started, the UK government announced additional emergency funding for the World Service to provide "independent, impartial and accurate news to people in Ukraine and Russia in the face of increased propaganda from the Russian state" and to counter "Putin’s lies and exposing his propaganda and fake news".<ref name=govuk-20220324>{{cite press release |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bbc-gets-emergency-funding-to-fight-russian-disinformation |title=BBC gets emergency funding to fight Russian disinformation |publisher=UK Government |via=gov.uk |date=24 March 2022 |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref> ===BBC Persian Service=== In the context of the [[Iranian Revolution]], the BBC World Service's [[BBC Persian|Persian-language service]] has been criticised for its role in promoting the [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah]]'s regime and undermining local norms in favour of British-selected values, with the [[List of diplomats of the United Kingdom to Iran|British Ambassador in Iran]], [[Peter Ramsbotham]], stating in reaction to a Service-sponsored poetry contest (in celebration of the [[2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire|2500th anniversary]] of the founding of the [[Achaemenid Empire|Archaemenid empire]]) that the organisation "seems to be damaging its image by acquiring a reputation for employing and supporting 'old brigade' expatriates."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ramsbotham |first1=Peter |title=Telegram from P. Ramsbotham to M. Dodd |date=17 July 1971 |publisher=BBC Written Archives Centre |location=Tehran }}</ref> Furthermore, it appears{{according to whom|date=March 2023}} that the [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office|Foreign & Commonwealth Office]] made a concerted effort to produce favourable coverage of Persia to BBC World Service audiences in order to maintain cordiality with the Shah's regime. For example, in December 1973, a memo from Ramsbotham details a request from the [[Prime Minister of Iran|Iranian Prime Minister]] for the text of a broadcast about Iran by [[Peter Avery]], lecturer in Persian Studies and Fellow at [[King's College, Cambridge]], which he deemed 'excellent' and wanted to show the Shah. This later became the programme ''Iran: Oil and the Shah's Arab Neighbours'' which was aired globally on 1 December 1973, much to the chagrin of the Iranian people, who began airing their frustrations against the British government out on the BBC Persian Service; By 1976, Ramsbotham's successor, [[Sir Anthony Parsons]], concluded that the Persian Service has lost its propaganda value and supported discontinuing the service: "[It] is well known that the vernacular service is financed by the FCO and is therefore firmly considered by the Iranians as an official organ of the government."<ref>{{cite book |title="Central Current Affairs Talks External Broadcasting" |date=1 December 1973 |publisher=Foreign and Commonwealth Office |edition=O26/1374 - 35 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Ramsbotham |first1=Peter |title=Ramsbotham to Managing Director of External Broadcasting |date=27 October 1973 |publisher=BBC Written Archives Centre |location=Tehran }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Parsons |first1=Sir Anthony |title=Telegram from A Parsons to N J Barrington on "BBC Persian Service" |date=4 July 1976 |publisher=Foreign and Commonwealth Office |location=Tehran |edition=9 FCO 8/2762 }}</ref> In September 2022, the World Service announced the closure of its Persian and Arabic radio services as part of a cost-cutting plan, but the online and TV services would remain.<ref name=ft-20221207/><ref name=guardian-20220929>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/sep/29/hundreds-of-jobs-to-go-as-bbc-announces-world-service-cutbacks |title=Hundreds of jobs to go as BBC announces World Service cutbacks |last=Waterson |first=Jim |newspaper=The Guardian |date=29 September 2022 |access-date=12 January 2023}}</ref> ==See also== {{portal|BBC|World}} * [[1988–1994 British broadcasting voice restrictions]] * [[BBC Media Action]] * [[BBC World Service Television]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Works cited== {{refbegin|30em}} * {{cite book | last=Plock | first=Vike Martina | title=The BBC German Service during the Second World War | series=Palgrave Studies in the History of the Media | publisher=Palgrave Macmillan | publication-place=Cham | date=20 September 2021 | isbn=978-3-030-74091-7 | doi=10.1007/978-3-030-74092-4}} * {{cite journal | last=Seul | first=Stephanie | title='Plain, unvarnished news'?: The BBC German Service and Chamberlain's propaganda campaign directed at Nazi Germany, 1938–1940 | journal=Media History | volume=21 | issue=4 | date=2015-10-02 | issn=1368-8804 | doi=10.1080/13688804.2015.1011108 | pages=378–396}} * {{cite journal |first=Peter|last=Goodwin|author-link=Peter Goodwin|date=2005|title=Low Conspiracy? – Government interference in the BBC|journal=Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture|volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=96–118 |doi=10.16997/wpcc.10 |issn=1744-6708 |doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal | last=Milland | first=Gabriel | title=The BBC Hungarian service and the final solution in Hungary | journal=Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television | volume=18 | issue=3 | date=1998 | issn=0143-9685 | doi=10.1080/01439689800260231 | pages=353–373}} * {{cite book | last=Rawnsley | first=Gary D. | title=Radio Diplomacy and Propaganda | publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK | publication-place=London | date=1996 | isbn=978-1-349-24501-7 | doi=10.1007/978-1-349-24499-7}} * {{cite book | last=Briggs | first=Asa | title=The War of Words: The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom: Volume III | publisher=Oxford University PressOxford | date=1995-03-23 | isbn=978-0-19-212956-7 | doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192129567.001.0001}} * {{cite journal | title=Keeping BBC Unfettered | journal=Economic and Political Weekly | volume=3 | issue=44 | year=1968 | page=1680 | issn=0012-9976 | jstor=4359258 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/4359258 | ref={{sfnref | Economic and Political Weekly | 1968}} | access-date=2024-03-14}} {{refend}} ==External links== {{Commons category|BBC World Service}} * {{bbc.co.uk|worldservice|BBC World Service Radio}} ** [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2x9tqt6mc05vB2S37j8MWMJ/global-short-wave-frequencies/ BBC World Service Radio frequencies] ** [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/25lGfHqsvqPgsTVM6z88WGD/bbc-fm-stations-around-the-world BBC World Service Radio in different languages] * [http://www.bbc.com/ws/languages BBC News Language Selection] at [[BBC Online]] {{BBC World Service}} {{Navboxes |list= {{BBC Radio}} {{Freeview}} {{Media in the United Kingdom|radio}} {{Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office}} }} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Bbc World Service}} [[Category:BBC World Service| ]] [[Category:1932 establishments in England]] [[Category:BBC national radio stations|World Service]] [[Category:International broadcasters]] [[Category:Podcasting companies]] [[Category:Public Radio International]] [[Category:Radio in Africa]] [[Category:Radio in Asia]] [[Category:Radio in Europe]] [[Category:Radio in North America]] [[Category:Radio in South America]] [[Category:Radio stations established in 1932]] [[Category:Radio stations in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Sirius XM Radio channels]] [[Category:Publicly funded broadcasters]]
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