In response to the rapid developments in Syria, the BBC World Service will provide an enhanced service to audiences across the country.
The enhanced audio service, broadcast on medium wave and FM, will provide people in Syria and neighboring countries with reliable, independent news when they need it most, especially amid disruption to local media and digital services. It will provide a source.
The service, which broadcasts news and information in Arabic, will broadcast BBC News Arabic breaking news throughout the day, including BBC News Arabic World at One and BBC News Arabic Newsnight. It will also feature packages from the Gaza Lifeline Service, as well as contributions from correspondents such as Feraz Kilani and the BBC’s wealth of reporters based across the region.
There is also a carefully selected English offer on the network from World Service English for Syrians who speak the language.
Jonathan Munro, global director of BBC News, said: “While we are all seeing, hearing and reading about the dramatic changes that have struck Syria, the Syrian people have been left without essential access to reliable, independent news about this event. It’s happening. The enhanced BBC World Service brings you the latest breaking news and analysis from Syria, the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Syria’s radio network broadcasts on medium wave, 720kHz and 639kHz, and 93.0FM.
The BBC World Service has a history of responding to emergencies around the world. Most recently, it launched an emergency radio service for Gaza in November 2024. Broadcasting is still ongoing. BBC News Arabic also launched an emergency radio service in May 2023 during the Sudanese conflict. In February 2022, the BBC News Ukraine Service extended its television bulletins in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
BBC News aired a weekly special program in response to events in Syria. World Service English has rescheduled Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th December in response to the rapidly developing story, with additional episodes of the BBC Global News podcast, featuring Barbara Plett Usher, Lyceum Additional correspondents include Doucette and Feras Qilani from BBC News Arabic. We’ve been keeping viewers up to date with the latest news across BBC stations.
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