BBC World Service is to reinstate its FM programming on the Sri Lankan national broadcaster SLBC from Thursday 15 April. This will be the first BBC programming on the SLBC FM network for 14 months. The BBC suspended its programmes in the English, Sinhala and Tamil languages on 10 February 2009, following deliberate interference in its broadcasts. During the suspension, the BBC’s services in all three languages remained available in Sri Lanka via shortwave, the Internet, and news bulletins in English via the Sri Lankan commercial broadcaster MBC.
Director of BBC Global News, Peter Horrocks, said: “The BBC wishes to rebuild its partnership with SLBC – part of a strong relationship with listeners in Sri Lanka that goes back to the Forties. We have been reassured by SLBC that our contractual agreement will be respected, which guarantees that our programmes in English, Sinhala, and Tamil are broadcast uninterrupted.
“We are pleased that we can now offer listeners to the SLBC FM network the BBC programmes they used to enjoy. Our audiences understand that in order to cover news events in the most comprehensive and balanced way, the BBC adheres to specific editorial values that include impartiality, editorial independence and seeking a relevant range of views on any topic. It is something audiences value. It is the only way we can meet our audiences’ high expectations and maintain our reputation as the world’s most trusted international broadcaster.”
These are the shortwave frequencies and timings to hear BBC services in Sri Lanka:
Tamil: 1545-1615 UTC on 15690, 15390, 9860 and 7435 kHz.
Sinhala: Live FM broadcast at 1545-1615 UTC, repeated on shortwave at 1630-1700 UTC on 13630 and 7435 kHz.
World Service in English: Details can be found at:
bbc.co.uk/worldservice/schedules/internet/800/radio_frequencies_south_asia.shtml
(Source: BBC World Service International Publicity)
