Expats to be cut off from BBC radio within weeks
Expats will be cut off from scores of BBC radio stations and podcasts in a shake-up of the public service broadcaster's international output.
From this spring, the BBC will no longer allow access to Sounds – its audio streaming service – from abroad.
Instead, international audiences will need to tune into radio and podcasts on a new advertising-funded service on BBC.com or the broadcaster's app.
Rights restrictions means some programming, including all music radio stations and some podcasts, will be removed completely. Others will only be available through third-party subscription services such as Apple and Spotify.
The BBC said expats will still have access to talk radio stations such as Radio 4 and the World Service, as well as more than 1,000 podcasts, including Global News Podcast, The Global Story and Infinite Monkey Cage.
Nevertheless, the move has fuelled concerns that international audiences will be cut off from large swathes of their favourite programming.
Kirsty Lang, the broadcaster who fronts Radio 4 shows including Front Row, Last Word and Round Britain Quiz, described the decision as 'devastating for all our overseas listeners'.
She added: 'BBC Radio is a vital lifeline to so many overseas listeners. I have no idea why they're cutting it or why they can't introduce a subscription for people living outside the UK.'
Expats will be able to continue accessing BBC services through the use of a virtual private network (VPN), which masks a user's IP address and allows them to bypass geo-blocked material. However, such measures are likely to be difficult for less tech-savvy listeners.
BBC Sounds users will also lose access to their subscriptions and bookmarked programmes, and will have to set them up again manually.
The BBC said: 'BBC Sounds is a UK licence fee-funded service. To offer better value for our UK listeners, BBC Sounds will be repositioned and made available exclusively to UK audiences.'
It marks the latest controversial shake-up of the BBC's audio output after the corporation outlined plans to place adverts around some of its radio and podcast programmes when they are streamed via services such as Apple and Spotify in the UK.
The proposals triggered a furious response from commercial rivals, who warned of a 'catastrophic' distortion of the advertising market. Gary Lineker's production company Goalhanger, which makes podcasts including The Rest is Politics and The Rest is History, was among 20 media companies to condemn the plans.
The BBC is looking to boost its commercial income as part of efforts to plug a £500m black hole in its finances.
The corporation is also in discussions with ministers about the future of the licence fee funding model ahead of the end of the current charter period in 2027.
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