BBC Nepali

{{Short description|A Nepali language service of the BBC World Service.}}

{{Infobox broadcasting network

| name = BBC Nepali
बीबीसी नेपाली

| logo = File:BBC Nepali Service Logo.jpg

| country = {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom and {{flagicon|Nepal}} Nepal

| network_type = Radio network and website

| available = International

| owner = BBC

| endowment = Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK

| language = Nepali

| launch_date = {{start date and age|df=yes|1969|6|7}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/}}

| webcast = {{URL|https://www.bbc.com/nepali/bbc_nepali_radio/liveradio}}

| radiotransmitters = Kathmandu Valley (103.0 FM){{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/where-we-work/asia/nepal/milijuli-nepali|title=Helping save lives through radio in Nepal|accessdate=31 December 2024|publisher=BBC Media Action}}

}}

BBC Nepali ({{langx|ne|बीबीसी नेपाली}}) is one of the 27 language services provided under the BBC World Service's foreign language output. It broadcasts in the Nepali language on FM and over the internet.

History

BBC Nepali was launched on 7 June 1969 as a weekly program on the BBC World Service. In the early years the programs were hosted by Nepali students studying in the United Kingdom. In 1970 BBC’s Nepali output became available five days a week, and later was made available on every day of the week.

Initially, the programs were directed at British Gorkha soldiers working in Hong Kong. Later it became widely popular in the Nepali community as impartial and trustworthy news broadcasting. Today the broadcasts are received by Nepali speakers worldwide.

Its shortwave radio broadcasts stopped in March 2011,{{Cite web|url=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17921|title=Making the cut|accessdate=9 January 2025|date=4 February 2011|publisher=Nepali Times|author=Rubeena Mahato}} but was brought back for a while following the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32500850|date=1 May 2015|accessdate=9 January 2025|title=Nepal earthquake: BBC offers 'lifeline' in emergency|publisher=BBC}}

Programming

BBC Nepali concentrates on news, analysis, and discussion. It carries 15 minutes of radio time. As of 2 August 2024, a daily fifteen-minute program called {{lang|ne|सांझपख}} (Saanjhapakh) is transmitted at 21:44 Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45).{{Cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/service_bbc_nepali_radio/2024-08-02|title=Schedule|lang=en-gb,ne|accessdate=31 December 2024|publisher=BBC Programme Index}}, which is concentrated on news, but also includes certain other programmes.