BBC plans to stop radio broadcasts in Arabic, Persian
Many Arabic journalists were saddened, but the BBC’s international radio audience has shrunk. The Iranian government is currently in a row with BBC Persian over its coverage of protests.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)’s World Service has proposed cutting its radio broadcasts in several languages, Arabic and Persian among them.
What it means: The BBC will still produce content in Arabic and Persian, but the plan is to no longer broadcast in these languages via radio waves. The decision is motivated by a desire to save money and cut costs, the network said Thursday.
In addition to radio, the BBC offers online and television content in both languages.
Why it matters: Many Arabic media professionals reacted with sadness to the news. “A stage and a generation has been extinguished,” Syria Television journalist Yaser Atrash wrote on Twitter Thursday.
