The BBC has announced it is resurrecting its shortwave service after the Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor blocked access to its websites.
According to the BBC, the new broadcasts will make four hours of World Service English news available every day and reach audiences in Ukraine and parts of Russia. Listeners in the area will be able to tune in to the broadcasts at 15735 kHz from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. GMT and 5875 kHz from 10 p.m. to midnight GMT.
“It’s often said truth is the first casualty of war,” said BBC director-general Tim Davie. “In a conflict where disinformation and propaganda are rife, there is a clear need for factual and independent news people can trust – and in a significant development, millions more Russians are turning to the BBC.”
The BBC is not alone on the blocked list. Roskomnadzor has also restricted access to the United States government-funded Radio Liberty and state-owned radio broadcaster Voice of America, the German state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle, and Meduza, a Latvia-based news site that publishes in Russian and English.
In the meantime, RMF Group — part of Bauer Media Audio — in Poland has launched RMF Ukrania on 98.6FM, designed to give assistance to Ukrainian refugees in the country.