Tag Archives: bbc cyprus relay

After listener feedback, BBC World Service restores MW service to Israel and Middle East

Antennas-001SWLing Post reader David commented on June 8 that he heard the return of the BBC World Service on 1,323 khz BBC Zygi, Cyprus relay.

The BBC Media Centre confirms:

The BBC World Service has confirmed that MW transmissions to Israel and other parts of the Middle East will resume for 10hrs per day on 1323kHz starting on Friday 7 June.

This will give listeners breakfast listening and then drive-time and evening coverage from about 4pm to 10pm.

The morning hours are as 02:59:30 to 06:59:30 GMT and the evening schedule will be 12:59:30 – 18:59:30 GMT.

Steve Titherington, World Service Commissioning Editor, says: “We had a huge response to the end of MW transmissions in Israel and we are responding positively to listeners’ demands for a return to of the BBC broadcasts. Cutbacks mean we can’t return to a full day-long schedule, but we will broadcast at times when we hope audiences are most likely to listen. We want to thank our listeners for their feedback and would welcome any further comment they have about how suitable these new broadcasting times are for tuning into the BBC World Service.”

As previously announced four hours per day of World Service English will continue on 720kHz until 22:59:30 on 21 June.

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Allen’s thoughts as BBC Cyprus relay station closes today

bbc_arabicSWLing Post reader, Allen, writes:

BBC’s Cyprus relay station is being closed down today after more than 50 years of service. The BBC currently uses the station to broadcast its Arabic radio service to the Arab world on short wave. The BBC will still incur the cost of making its Arabic radio service in London, but it will only be available to listeners if Arab governments permit it, as the radio channel will only be available online or where governments have permitted the BBC to have an FM licence.

So – Saturday (today) is the last day that the ten million Arabic radio audience will be able to listen on short wave.

If all Arab regimes were really democratic enough to have a permanently free media and allow the BBC on, what is the point of the BBC Arabic anyway? But do we really believe that all the Arab world is free and democratic??

It is also another blow to the English World Service. World Service listeners lost their medium wave service to Europe on 648 two years ago. The closure of Cyprus means that the continuous World Service English medium wave service to Israel and surrounding countries on 1323 kHz also ends today.

For the time being, the Arabic medium wave to small parts of the East mediterranean will continue from another part of Cyprus. This will carry English for just two hours of daytime and two hours in the middle of the night on 720kHz.

The Cyprus relay station was taken over by the BBC as a result of the Suez Crisis.

It is part of the WS strategy to move from short wave and radio into television forced through against the views of World Service traditionalists by Peter Horrocks (head of Global news) and a contender to replace Helen Boaden as head of BBC news.

Peter Horrocks has no radio background, as former editor of Newsnight.

Peter Horrocks has diverted much of the 200 million pound annual World Service budget into making television programmes given free to local stations in Africa, and India. The flaw in that is that the BBC has no guarantee that the programmes will get through local consorship.

This is also the last Saturday that rural areas in Africa will get the Saturday afternoon Premier league live soccer commentary and other sports coverage from World Service. English short wave is being cut by 60 per cent from this weekend, with only 6 hours a day left – and no live sport on Saturday. It will be available if you are in a big city with an FM BBC relay, but most listeners still rely on short wave in Africa.

The only upside is that – at least this six hours a day in English seems to be guaranteed for another 10 years, as that’s the length of the BBC contract with the transmitting firm, Babcock.

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