BBC Urdu
Urdu-language division of the BBC
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
BBC Urdu (Urdu: بی بی سی اردو) is a digital television station covering the Indian subcontinent in the Urdu language.[1] It was the Urdu language station of the BBC World Service, accompanied by its website, which served as a news portal and provided online access to radio broadcasts. The radio service was broadcast from Broadcasting House in London and Pakistan as well as from a BBC South and East Asia bureau in New Delhi, India. It also has a children's channel CBeebies. The target audience were Pakistani and Indian viewers.[2][3]
| |
| Type | Radio network and website |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Availability | International |
| Endowment | Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK |
| Owner | BBC |
Launch date | May 1940 |
Official website | www |
| Language | Urdu |
History
BBC Urdu Service, originally launched in May 1940, was initially known as the BBC Hindustani Service.[4] It was launched to mitigate the influence of wartime misinformation from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.[4] After the independence of India in 1947, the service was split into two separate entities: the Indian service for Hindi speakers, and the Pakistani service for Urdu speakers.[4]
In 1967, Pakistan Service was renamed as the Urdu Service to better serve Urdu-speaking audiences in India, Europe, Pakistan, and Gulf.[4]
On December 30, 2022, after almost two decades of operation, BBC Pakistan stopped its Urdu Radio as part of its global cost-cutting efforts.[5][6]
