Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Cuff, who shares the following news via the BBC:
Upcoming changes for listening to BBC audio outside the UK
If you live outside the UK, how you listen to BBC radio will change, starting from spring 2025.
Instead of using BBC Sounds, you’ll be able to use a new service at BBC.com and on the BBC app. BBC Studios has launched these all-new audio environments, tailored to outside UK audiences. The BBC’s content will remain available on other international podcast platforms.
International listeners will no longer be able to use the BBC Sounds app and website from spring 2025.
You can find out more about these changes on the bbc.com website.
Advice for UK Listeners travelling abroad
For listeners who reside in the UK, you will still be able to use the BBC Sounds mobile app when you are abroad. Check our FAQ for further info: Can I use BBC Sounds when I travel outside the UK?
Why are we making these changes?
BBC Sounds is a UK licence fee funded service. To offer better value for our UK listeners, BBC Sounds will be repositioned and made available exclusively to UK audiences.
BBC Studios is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC and is focused on bringing our trusted, world class journalism and storytelling to international audiences. This includes BBC audio content on bbc.com and the BBC app, which will be focused to international listeners.
Support for listeners Outside the UK
If you live outside of the UK and have a query regarding listening to BBC radio and audio content, please visit the support page at bbc.com where you can find help and contact their support team.
What happened to the previous UK’s Government’s pledge to stop the TV receiver licence fee and what appeared that the BBC would have to fund itself?
With this attitude what happens to the World Service high frequency broadcasts? They currently have one on Digital Radio Mondiale which I have heard in the past (Before the Singapore transmitter site was turned into housing) from 4000 km away it sounded better than my AM from 500 metres away!
DRM contains no carrier, so the cost of electricity drops by at least 40 % of the high power high frequency AM transmissions.
I been able to catch the BBC on the 31 meter band 9580 khz
in the middle of the night in north america
BBC is moving to fully monetize its international content with commercials local to the listener’s area. They can inject relevant local ads using similar technology that TuneIn uses, and that ad load will be increased. If you are streaming content, just use a VPN and stick with the UK-targeted content. There are many that support UK residential IP addresses the BBC does not block.
Looks like the coming global version of the World Service will have Sportsworld on weekends stripped from its schedule once again, if the online schedule I see posted now on bbc.com is accurate. I say “once again” because WS listeners clamored for its inclusion online when it was only available via shortwave due to “rights issues”. Will this be the excuse for stripping them out once again? Online and via Sirius XM satellite radio (subscription) are the only ways for North Americans to have access 24/7 (a handful of HD sub channels carry it too, but the US public radio stream doesn’t have Sportsworld) and shortwave has largely been deep sixed by the BBC. Whoever is running things at the BBC seems to be doing a slower motion Elon Musk act — killing its best parts and features so it’s most loyal adherents will eventually have nothing to fight for.
Web radio was supposed to bring the listeners radio stations from all over the globe. With each decision like this one, it seems more and more like a broken promise.
Ah my – the TV is, understandably, forbidden to us filthy foreigners because it’s financed by the UK viewers’ license fee. As such, we do not contribute to Aunties’ upkeep.
OTOH, the radio license (which I well remember) was done away with years ago but now, they’re taking the radio service back into the fold and, presumably, hope to monetize it in some way.
I guess that although it’s audio only (just like radio) Sounds is being counted in the same way as TV and (hopefully) will become a profit center now.