BBC steps up fight against media clampdowns around the world

BBC steps up fight against media clampdowns around the world

BBC steps up fight against media clampdowns around the world

As media freedom faces starker declines in countries around the world, the BBC World Service has unveiled how services are adapting to reach audiences and the extreme measures individuals outside of the BBC take to access critical news and information.

According to the 2026 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders (RSF), press freedom is at the lowest point in the last quarter of a century.

As the world is marking World Press Freedom Day (3 May), the BBC speaks to someone involved in smuggling technology and services into Iran to access media, and highlights the difficulties faced in accessing BBC news in some countries.

Fiona Crack, Global Director, BBC News, says:

“We know that democratic values are under threat globally and this pressure goes hand-in-hand with the reduction in press freedom. Draconian actions taken by authorities around the world stop journalists doing their job and withhold information from people, increasing international instability and uncertainty. The BBC World Service is determined to provide for audiences who need us most and to find new ways of reaching them.” 

The BBC World Service is fighting reductions in media freedom by providing for audiences in innovative and diverse ways combatting some of the restrictions put on populations and BBC staff.

Iran

In Iran, amid nationwide internet shutdowns, a clandestine network smuggling Starlink satellite technology into the country has emerged.

The BBC World Service has spoken to “Sahand”, not his real name, who says he has sent over a dozen contraband items to enable internet access into the country since January. 

“If even one extra person is able to access the internet, I think it’s successful and it’s worth it,” says Sahand.

The Starlink devices Sahand sends to Iran are one of the most reliable ways of bypassing the shutdown.

Last year, the Iranian government passed legislation that made using, buying or selling Starlink devices punishable by up to two years in prison.

Sahand says the consequences could be severe if caught. “If I was identified by the Iranian regime, they might make those I’m in touch with in Iran pay the price,” he says.

Many Iranians bypass restrictions by using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access the internet to share and access independent information. 

BBC News Persian has the largest audience of any international media inside Iran. At the start of the 2026 protests, BBC News Persian was reaching 27.5 million people each week on Instagram, almost half the adult internet population of Iran. Following the internet shutdown, audiences in the country fell sharply.

BBC News Persian responded to the internet shutdown by launching a temporary emergency lifeline radio programme and establishing a weekly newsletter. The team have also extended their television news coverage, offering increased live news to meet the demand for information during the war.

Staff who work for BBC News Persian are threatened, harassed and abused for their reporting. Last year saw an alarming increase in the harassment with family members in Iran being taken in for repeated interrogation and their passports confiscated.

Russia

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, access to BBC News Russian in Russia has been severely restricted and the service’s website and most social media platforms are blocked. This action initially saw an audience drop of 95% across Russia. The numbers have since recovered significantly as the service works dynamically to reach their audiences, finding alternative platforms.

Like Iranians, audiences in Russia now use VPNs to access BBC content on the BBC News Russian website and on social platforms like Telegram, YouTube and Instagram.

BBC News Russian podcasts were banned on all platforms in Russia in 2022 and in response, they moved to YouTube. Since the Russian authorities’ subsequent intentional slowdown of YouTube in 2024, podcast output has also been made available on a dedicated Substack page.

BBC News Russian journalists also produce a weekday newsletter with mirror links to enable access to BBC content without the need for a VPN.

For many, their work has personal consequences. Several members of BBC News Russian staff have been labelled ‘Foreign Agents’ by Russia and are now at risk of criminal prosecution.

Belarus

In Belarus, there was an unprecedented post-election media crackdown in 2020.

According to the independent Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), 22 media workers are currently in prison. In the past six years, almost all independent publications and their social media pages have been blocked, banned and even declared extremist, effectively making it a crime for audiences inside Belarus to engage with them. 

BBC News Russian journalists are no longer able to operate in Belarus.

The extremism designation has been imposed on BBC News Russian content, and all BBC sites have been blocked. As of March 2026, it is illegal for people in Belarus to share BBC News Russian content.

BBC News Russian are pivoting to social media to ensure audiences in Belarus continue to have access to independent news from the BBC. 

NHK WORLD-JAPAN programme focus May: The Ultimate Teardown

NHK WORLD-JAPAN programme focus May: The Ultimate Teardown

NHK WORLD-JAPAN programme focus May: The Ultimate Teardown

The Ultimate Teardown: Dismantling an Expo Icon

Expo 2025 Osaka,
Kansai Special

May 23 Sat.  23:30 (UTC)

May 24 Sun. 17:30 (UTC)

With a Guinness World Record as the largest wooden architectural structure, the Grand Ring was built from enough wood for 1,000 houses. We watch as it is carefully taken apart to be reused elsewhere.

A Century on Film:
World War II in 8K
Part 2 Plunder 1941-1942

May 31 Sun.  0:00/18:00 (UTC)

It’s 1942; Germany and Japan continue their rapid military advance. Ukraine and Southeast Asia are stripped of resources, but Stalingrad and Midway soon mark a major turning point.

Seasoning the Seasons

Mondays
2:30/7:30/13:30/19:30 (UTC)

Beautiful Japan. Explore the four seasons across Japan, through its long history, ancient traditions, local festivals, food and daily life.

   
   

 

Finalists Announced  for the 17th TRT International Documentary Awards

Finalists Announced for the 17th TRT International Documentary Awards

Finalists Announced for the 17th TRT International Documentary Awards

Finalists for this year’s 17th TRT International Documentary Awards have been officially announced. A total of 40 projects have advanced to the finals across four categories: International, National Professional, National Student Films, and Project Support. The complete lists of finalists are now available at: www.trtbelgesel.com.

 

The finalists have been announced for the 17th TRT International Documentary Awards, organized by TRT to support amateur and professional documentary filmmakers, contribute to the growth and reach of the documentary genre, and bring documentary films from diverse countries to audiences. Following a rigorous evaluation by the pre-selection committee, the 40 selected finalists are now available at www.trtbelgesel.com.

 

Driven by the belief that every documentary conveying humanity’s deepest sorrows and the world’s striking narratives leaves a lasting mark on the future,  the event will take place under the theme “Be Bold, Leave a Mark”, connecting audiences with stories of people, nature, life, and history from various geographies and cultures around the globe.

 

Finalists to compete for awards

Having received 1409 submissions from 109 countries, the 17th TRT International Documentary Awards will feature 40 finalists to compete for awards across a total of 4 categories: International, National Professional, National Student Films, and Project Support. A total of 12 awards will be presented across these 4 categories throughout the competition.

 

Award Ceremony set for June 7

The finalist films that passed the pre-selection will be evaluated by the jury between June 4 and 7.  The winners will receive their awards at the ceremony on June 7. During the festival, screenings of finalist documentary films and special selections will be presented to the audience, enriching the documentary landscape in Türkiye and globally while supporting professional and amateur documentary filmmakers.

 

International Category Finalists;

– 32 Meters / Morteza Atabaki

– Gaza’s Twins, Come Back To Me / Mohammed Sawwaf

– High Land / Johana Martínez Ramírez, Giovanny Rendón Castañeda

– Homesick / Taekyung Tanja In Wol Sørensen

– Iron Winter / Kasimir Burgess

– Life After Siham / Namir Abdel Messeeh

– Past Future Continuous / Morteza Ahmadvand, Firouzeh Khosrovani

– Replica / Chouwa Liang

– The Last Khorumi / Ani Jgenti

– The Track / Ryan Sidhoo

 

National Professional Category Finalists;

– I Am 12,000 Years Old / Batuhan Karadağoğlu

– Notes from an Exile: Misina / Mert Güncüer

– Filos / Orhan Tekeoğlu, Nurdan Tümbek Tekeoğlu

– In the Shadow of the Poplar / Kenan Diler

– The Tar / Ali Rıza Avcı

– The Last Fire of the Lime Kilns / Serkan Uslu

– Seasons of Parchment / Eren Aybars Arpacık

– Sednaya / Mehmet Ali Poyraz

– Dreams Made of Salt / Musa Ak

– Echo Chambers: The Lost Democracy of the Internet / Barış Kaya

 

National Student Films Category Finalists;

– Ahraz: An Unspoken Kinship / Abdülsamet Mavi, Muhammed Ağar, Ege Döngel

– The Grebe’s Awakening / Berkay Kaan Özcan

– Upside Down / Cemal Karaaslan

– Time in Büyükorhan / Mehmet Can Türk

– The Timeless Bond / Hüseyin Yolu

– Blindfold / Yağmur Kaya

– Attendance: Three / Onur Sürek

– The Yellow Canary / Melike Kaya

– Visal: The Divine Union of Fire and Earth / Hilal Kabadaş

– In Search of A Stolen Time / Kayra Yılmaz

 

Project Support Category Finalists;

– Ali Rıza Bey / Ahmet Alan

– An Gorta – The Star and the Crescent / Hayriye Savaşçıoğlu

– Balat: Whose Streets? / Tolga Teke

– Stand-by / Furkan Yavuz

– Eber: A Requiem for Water / Tuğçe Özdemir

– Format / Hazar Uyar

– To the Homeland Unseen / Erkan Yaşar

– The Last Snow / Yahya Işıl

– Warpoly / Batıkan Köse

– The Radiant Dark / Ayşenur Yavaş

BBC Studios unveils BBC Belgium

BBC Studios unveils BBC Belgium

BBC Studios unveils BBC Belgium

From 5 May 2026, premium drama channel BBC First will be rebranded to BBC Belgium, enhancing the most popular international channel in Flanders with a fresh new identity.

Audiences will continue to have access to a packed lineup of world class dramas and compelling light crime series’ in a new-look home, all of which have been especially curated for Flemish audiences and fully localised with Dutch subtitles.

Bram Husken, SVP and General Manager Benelux and Nordics at BBC Studios, said: “Rebranding the channel to BBC Belgium allows us to better reflect our loyal Belgian audience and our commitment to bringing exceptional British stories to the region. For over a decade, our handpicked stories having been starting conversations, and changing perspectives. Our new identity will help to deepen our growing connection with fans of the best British content.”

New series’ premiering from launch on BBC Belgium include:

Wild Cherry – 6 May
Created and written by BAFTA-award winning Nicôle Lecky, Wild Cherry is set in a private enclave in the Home Counties. The six-part series is a provocative and deliciously honest look at mother/daughter relationships in a haze of social media, hidden apps and peer pressure that asks: how far will we go to protect our children? And just how much do teenage girls know about the women raising them? If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, then who is leading these girls astray?

The Marlow Murder Club S3 – 5 May
Now an established part of newly promoted DI Tanika Malik’s crime solving team, retired archaeologist Judith Potts, dog walker Suzie Harris and vicar’s wife Becks Starling are back and bringing their unconventional methods to a string of high-profile murders. But it soon becomes clear to the amateur sleuths that this time their investigations may hit closer to home than ever before. From the sudden death of the kindest man in Marlow, the town’s beloved Mayor, to a celebrity chef found dead at the launch of his cookbook with half the town in attendance, the team will be working under the watchful eye of the Marlow community. They’ll also be called to an eerie manor house in the middle of nowhere where they’ll face a case intrinsically linked to Becks’ past that could threaten the future of their roles as civilian advisors. Judith, Suzie and Becks will have to pull closer together than ever to catch these killers. Starring Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew.

Call The Midwife S15 – 7 May
When senior members of the Nonnatus House staff head to Hong Kong on a mercy mission, the younger midwives are left to cope alone. As the Christmas action shifts between the sun-drenched Far East and a snowy East End, Sister Julienne suddenly finds herself excited about the Order’s future. After years of battling change, she decides to embrace it, work with it, and see what love can do. This change of energy reverberates throughout series 15. The new series kicks off in 1971 with several of the ladies embracing Women’s Lib and burning their bras outside Nonnatus House. As the year unfolds, we see the team handle cases including premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis and slavery.

Lynley – 8 May
Leo Suter and Sofia Barclay star as the unconventional detective duo DI Tommy Lynley and DS Barbara Havers in a modern reimagining on the popular original series. Tommy Lynley is a brilliant police detective but an outsider in the force – simply by virtue of his aristocratic upbringing. He is paired with Barbara Havers, a sergeant with a maverick attitude and a working-class background. With seemingly nothing in common and against all odds, the mismatched duo of Lynley and Havers become a formidable team, bonded by their desire to see justice done.

Foyle’s War S6 – 16 May
The sixth series of Foyle’s War unfolds in the uneasy months following Victory in Europe, as Britain struggles to transition from conflict to recovery. Detective Chief Superintendent Christopher Foyle, played by Michael Kitchen, increasingly disillusioned with the political constraints placed upon his work, finds himself navigating a new landscape where wartime loyalties shift, old secrets resurface, and the boundaries between justice and national interest blur.

Series 6 begins in June 1945 when Foyle, tracking an escaped Russian POW at the behest of British intelligence, becomes involved in a murder investigation conducted by his former subordinate, DI Paul Milner. The situation threatens not only their already strained relationship, but also Foyle’s life. Meanwhile, Sam Stewart (Honeysuckle Weeks), struggling to adjust to civilian life, once again becomes indispensable as she and Foyle uncover the truth behind a wave of nighttime robberies and the suspicious death of a man charged with treason.

Miss Scarlet S6 – 25 May
When we last saw Eliza Scarlet, her life seemed out of balance. A new Detective Inspector had taken charge at Scotland Yard; one with no intention of enlisting her services. But true to form, Eliza didn’t back down. Through grit and brilliance, she earned the DI’s respect. And Eliza’s maternal housekeeper decided to marry coroner Barnabus Potts as Season 5 wrapped—what will that mean for the household? Now as a new chapter begins, we wonder: Will Eliza continue to pour everything into the job, or will she attend to her personal life?

BBC Belgium will officially launch on 5 May 2026.

Encompass expands key facility in Latvia

Encompass expands key facility in Latvia

Encompass expands key facility in Latvia

State-of-the-art MCR Supports Large-Scale Playout, Live Delivery, and AI-Enabled Content Services for Broadcasters Worldwide

Encompass Digital Media has announced the expansion of its Master Control Room (MCR) facility in Riga, Latvia, establishing it as one of the most advanced and efficient operations in the global media and broadcast industry.

Serving customers across Europe, the United States and Asia, the facility now handles over 1,500 hours of live sports content per month and manages 277 channels for 22 customers worldwide, supported by a highly skilled team and state-of-the-art technology. These include leading broadcasters and content providers such as TV3 in the Baltics, where the Encompass Riga facility recently supported the simultaneous delivery of all 18 UEFA Champions League matches on a single match day, generating approximately 43,000 hours of live streaming activity.

The expanded Riga facility now supports a wide range of broadcast operations, from high-volume live coverage of major international sports competitions to dynamic channel playout. It is purpose-built to manage complex, concurrent workflows, including the ingest, processing and distribution of multiple feeds in real time. Alongside live operations, the facility also delivers reactive channel services and highly automated playout capabilities, giving customers the flexibility to match operational models to different content types and audience demands.

It also delivers large-scale content operations for customers, including quality control and compliance, handling thousands of assets each month for broadcast and OTT platforms. With AI-enabled services such as subtitling now also available, Encompass integrates automated processing with operational oversight to deliver consistent, broadcast-grade output.

“Investing in our Riga facility reflects the role it now plays in our global operations,” said Marc Bruce, Encompass CEO. “It has developed into a highly efficient delivery hub supporting customers across multiple regions and is now key to maintaining the consistency and reliability our customers expect. As demand grows, Riga will remain central to how we scale our services globally.”

AIB confirms Executive Committee for 2026–2028 under new staggered election system

AIB confirms Executive Committee for 2026–2028 under new staggered election system

AIB confirms Executive Committee for 2026–2028 under new staggered election system

The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has confirmed the composition of its Executive Committee (ExCo) for the 2026–2028 term, marking the first implementation of the organisation’s new staggered election system.

Approved by AIB members earlier this year, the revised structure is designed to strengthen continuity, maintain institutional knowledge, and support long-term strategic oversight. Under the system, three Executive Committee members are elected each year to serve two-year terms, ensuring that experienced members remain in place as new representatives join.

New Executive Committee members (2026–2028)

Following the close of nominations, three candidates were put forward for the three available places. As the positions were uncontested, all nominees are appointed to the Executive Committee for the 2026–2028 term:

  • Ahmet Görmez, TRT
  • Chris Loweth, BBC News
  • Chris Liu, Radio Taiwan International (Rti)

Continuing members (to March 2027)

These members join the three other Executive Committee members whose terms continue until March 2027:

  • Nesryn Bouziane, ABC
  • Craig Dale, Mediacorp
  • Serge Schick, France Médias Monde

Strengthening governance and continuity

The introduction of staggered elections represents an important evolution in AIB governance. By avoiding a full turnover of the Executive Committee in any single year, the organisation ensures greater stability, preserves expertise, and enables more effective strategic planning.

The Executive Committee plays a central role in guiding AIB’s activities, supporting its mission to serve the international broadcasting community, and ensuring that the organisation continues to deliver value to its global membership.

AIB Chief Executive Simon Spanswick said:
“The move to a staggered election system strengthens the AIB’s governance by ensuring continuity and retaining experience at Executive Committee level. I am looking forward to working with the full Committee as we continue to develop the AIB’s activities and support our members worldwide.”

The AIB extends its thanks to all members of the Executive Committee past and present for their commitment and contribution to the work of the Association.