BBC World Service

BBC World Service

Type	Radio broadcasting news, speech, discussions, state media
Country	United Kingdom
Availability	Worldwide
Headquarters	Broadcasting House, London
Broadcast area	Worldwide
Owner	BBC
Key people	Liliane Landor
Launch date	19 December 1932; 92 years ago (1932-12-19)
Former names	BBC Empire Service BBC Overseas Service External Services of the BBC
Webcast	Web Stream Live Streaming - Internet Schedule HTTP stream (56 Kbps MP3) HLS stream (48 Kbps AAC+) HLS stream (96 Kbps AAC+) DASH stream (48-96 Kbps AAC+) (adaptive bitrate)
Official website	BBC World Service

The BBC World Service is an international broadcaster. It is owned and operated by the BBC. It is funding from the British Government through the Foreign Secretary's office.^[1] It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach.^[2] It broadcasts radio news, speech and discussions in more than 40 languages^[3][4] to many parts of the world. It broadcasts on analogue and digital shortwave platforms, internet streaming, podcasting, satellite, DAB, FM and MW relays.

In 2015, the World Service reached an average of 210 million people a week (via TV, radio and online).^[5] In November 2016, the BBC announced that it would start broadcasting in additional languages including Amharic and Igbo.^[6]

BBC World Service English maintains eight regional feeds with several programme variations, covering, respectively. The locations are East and South Africa; West and Central Africa; Europe and Middle East; the Americas and Caribbean; East Asia; South Asia; Australasia; and the United Kingdom.

There are also two separate online-only streams with one being more news-oriented. It is known as News Internet. The service broadcasts 24 hours a day.

The current director of the BBC World Service is Liliane Landor.^[7] The current director of the BBC World Service in English is Mary Hockaday.^[8]

1. ↑ "BBC World Service (BBCWS), The UK's Voice around the World". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 November 2006.
2. ↑ "Microsoft Word - The Work of the BBC World Service 2008-09 HC 334 FINAL.doc" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
3. ↑ "News in your language - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
4. ↑ "BBC World Service". Facebook.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
5. ↑ "BBC's combined global audience revealed at 308 million". BBC. 15 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
6. ↑ [1]Archived 18 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine "BBC World Service announces biggest expansion 'since the 1940s'", BBC News
7. ↑ "BBC announces Liliane Landor as Senior Controller of BBC News International Services". BBC World News. BBC. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
8. ↑ "BBC - Mary Hockaday, Controller, World Service English - Inside the BBC". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2017.