BBC condemns China's 'deliberate' jamming of World Service broadcasts

Statement by global news head Peter Horrocks cites 'deliberate and co-ordinated' blocking of shortwave frequencies in region

• guardian.co.uk, Monday 25 February 2013 12.57 GMT

BBC global news director Peter Horrocks blames 'deliberate and co-ordinated' jamming of BBC World Service broadcasts in China, designed to 'disrupt audiendes' free access to news and information. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

The BBC has "strongly condemned" the "deliberate and co-ordinated" jamming of the BBC World Service by authorities in China.
On Monday the corporation issued a statement after receiving reports that its shortwave frequencies were being blocked in China.
It follows jamming of the BBC's Persian service in Iran, and comes days after a BBC news crew was detained and their video footage confiscated while they investigated a cyber-espionage group in China.
The BBC's director of global news Peter Horrocks said: "The jamming of shortwave transmissions is being timed to cause maximum disruption to BBC World Service English broadcasts in China.
"The deliberate and co-ordinated efforts by authorities in countries such as China and Iran illustrate the significance and importance of the role the BBC undertakes to provide impartial and accurate information to audiences around the world."
The BBC added in a statement: "Though it is not possible at this stage to attribute the source of the jamming definitively, the extensive and co-ordinated efforts are indicative of a well-resourced country such as China.
"The BBC strongly condemns this action which is designed to disrupt audiences' free access to news and information.
"In the past couple of years the BBC has experienced jamming of satellite services. Whilst shortwave jamming is generally less frequent, it does affect BBC Persian transmissions in Iran and was historically used to block BBC broadcasts during the cold war."
The BBC World Service, which has a worldwide weekly audience of 239 million listeners, broadcasts on shortwave, AM, FM and on digital satellite and cable.
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