BBC Sounds Will Be Unavailable For Audiences In The Republic Of Ireland
BBC Sounds Will Be Unavailable For Audiences In The Republic Of Ireland
Text: Rachel Hannon
From Spring 2025, BBC Sounds will be unavailable for users outside the UK, including those in the Republic of Ireland. Access will now be shifted to a new service on BBC.com and the BBC app. Only BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4 will be available to international users, with other national and local radio stations becoming unavailable. However, BBC podcasts will be available on international podcast platforms.
Last year, BBC director general Tim Davie announced the corporation wanted to look at reforming the licence fee. The BBC’s income fell by about 30 per cent between 2010 and 2020, he said, while an annual savings target would rise by £200 million to £700 million a year by 2028. The change is intended to boost commercial income.
When asked to respond on the concern that this decision may be incompatible with the 1988 Belfast Agreement, a spokeswoman for the BBC said, “BBC content will remain available on third-party platforms outside the UK.”
Groups like Ancient Music Ireland have expressed anger due to their dependency on the platform. Their goal is to research ancient musical instruments made in Ireland Britain. Speaking to Irish Times, the groups founder Simon O’Dwyer who has contributed to many BBC Radio Ulster programmes has said that “many people in the Republic” listen to programmes across the BBC.
“The instruments we research are pre-Norman, pre-Viking, pre-Roman. We don’t see any borders with them, because there weren’t any.”
Elsewhere on District: 5 Of Our Favourite International Festivals Tailor-Made For The Irish Music Lover
