The BBC Empire service started in December 1932. Its intention was to reach those overseas, the Brits who would be then kind of responsible for holding the Empire together. So its audience were British white expats initially. They didn't really account for women listeners at first, either. But after Second World War there was this recognition that it might not just be the white expats that might be listening,. and they needed to start to rethink.
On 27 January 2023, broadcaster Mahmoud Al-Mossallami hosted BBC Arabic radio’s final transmission after 85 years on air. It's the latest strategy shift for BBC World Service, which launched in 1932 as the BBC Empire Service. Over the years its radio content has transformed in order to meet historical challenges, cater to growing audiences and adapt under financial constraints. But with a listenership of millions across multiple nations, is something larger and more important than just a radio service being lost with the shuttering of BBC Arabic radio? To discuss the history and future of Britain's soft power as a broadcasting powerhouse, former BBC producer and Intelligence Squared's Head of Podcasts, Farah Jassat, is joined by Emma Robertson, historian and co-author of BBC World Service: Overseas Broadcasting, 1932–2018, and Hosam El Sokkari, former Head of BBC Arabic. Plus, BBC World Service anchor Mahmoud Al-Mossallami himself reflects on his long career and that final broadcast.
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