Radio BBC World Service Bangui

The BBC World Service is one of the most widely-recognised international broadcasters, currently broadcasting in 32 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays. It is politically independent, non-profit and commercial-free. It broadcasts radio and television programmes.

The BBC World Service has a large audience in English-speaking Africa, and is engaged in a long-standing battle with Radio France Internationale for audiences[citation needed]. Broadcasts have traditionally come from the UK, Cyprus (see Europe), the large BBC Atlantic Relay Station on Ascension Island, and the smaller Lesotho Relay Station and Indian Ocean Relay Station on Seychelles. A large part of the English schedule is taken up by specialist programming from and for Africa, for example Network Africa, Focus on Africa and Africa Have Your Say. In the 1990s, the BBC added FM facilities in many African capital cities.