The BBC World News Thread

Think the World Service has only “officially” been available in the UK since the introduction of DAB too (though you could pick it up on shortwave and AM broadcasts aimed at Europe, of course).

And was carried overnight by (some?) BBC local radio stations before Radio 5 Live became the norm. I certainly remember Radio Solent opting in to the WS after Nick Girdler’s late night pan-south show.

In terms of national, 24/7, officially aimed at the UK reception, then yes.

However you're forgetting the many years it's been carried on R4 overnight and, as deejay said, some BBC local radio stations used to take where others took 5 Live.

It was - if not still is - the case that R4 overnight, UK DAB, Europe (although no longer on 648kHz MW) at times carry a different mix of programmes. Not opt outs as such, different schedules. As just about every programme has fixed start and end times (and numerous other 'posts' each hour) then it's not too difficult to provide a custom schedule for any area / rebroadcaster that wants it.

When I worked there, if you were at home it made it a bit of a game knowing whether you'd be able to hear a particular programme you'd normally be part of!

Looks like there are (at least?) 10 different variations of the World Service these days: https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p02y9rvj#outlets

How long has it been running overnight on R4 for? I think GLR in London ran it overnight in the 80s.

Radio 4 started simulcasting the World Service in the early hours of Sunday 16th April 1995.

Other LRs also used the World Service as filler. Radio 2 was quite common until 5 Live launched.

I think Droitwich 198 was carrying The World Service overnight much earlier than that. Not technically part of R4's schedule, (because R4 FM didn't carry the WS until 1995). Because of Droitwich's secondary use (that has become primary !) for electric time-switch switching, it has to run 24/7, so makes sense to carry something

The local radio listings in Radio Times (will they ever make it into Genome?) show GLR as taking the World Service overnight from May 1991 (at that time all others stations took Radio 2). Radio Berkshire followed suit when it launched in January 1992, and then various other stations made the switch in subsequent years, until 1998 when all stations began to take Radio 5 Live instead.

The World Service would be carried overnight on Droitwich 198 from 2am to 5.30am (I think) Radio 4 closed down at 12.25 appox, and then there was usually silence until a few minutes before 2am when you'd hear church bells. It stayed on till 5.30am ish (not sure about that) then between 5.30 and the opening of Radio 4 there would be test tone or silence. It was never advertised on Radio 4 itself that the service was available. I first came across this in 1983. Talking to others it had been going on for years earlier.

It was very useful as at that time of night the only other choice you had where I was (in Ireland) was BBC Radio 2, or shortwave.

I


I'm trying to remember if Droitwich 200 (as it was until Feb 88. ) was switched off overnight when Radio 2 was carried? R2 up until 1979 closed down between 2am and 5am. It's possible it carried the WS back as far as then?

If you could get your hands on a copy of the World Radio and TV Handbook from the 70's it would probably tell you. I remember that it listed the BBC World Service in it and included the hours of MW and LW broadcasts. But those were copies from the 80's that I saw and I haven't seen a copy of the book for decades at this stage.

Fair enough! I wonder whether there’s a difference when it is covered overnight on Radio 4.

Tim Wilcox doing a good job on BBC World News right now - looks like the autocue failed so he was required to read from his paper sheets. Not sure who was controlling the camera but there was some real whizzy stuff happening there when it rapidly zoomed out and moved around a bit.

Tim's such a professional, just carry's on as if nothing's wrong.