Key facts
- Afghan authorities have suspended the BBC's FM radio broadcasts nationwide.
- The BBC is working with Afghan authorities to resolve the situation.
- Millions of Afghans rely on the BBC for accurate news and information.
- BBC TV programming was previously banned in March 2022.
Afghan authorities have suspended the BBC's FM radio broadcasts across the country, the British broadcaster said on Tuesday. The BBC stated it is working with the authorities to resolve the situation.
Millions of people across Afghanistan rely on the BBC for accurate news and information, according to a BBC spokesperson. This action follows a previous decision in March 2022 when the Taliban ordered local Afghan channels not to broadcast content from international partners, leading to BBC TV programming being taken off air. At that time, the BBC noted this would affect over six million viewers of its Persian, Pashto, and Uzbek language services. Radio and online services were unaffected by that earlier ban. Other international broadcasters whose programming was also removed included Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, and China Global Television Network.