Skip to main content

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.

BBC
A display promoting the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service sits in a window of a BBC building on March 2, 2005 in London. — Scott Barbour/Getty Images

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. 

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in