October 1973 – The War That Changed Everything September 30 – November 15 One hour
Michael Goldfarb tells the story of the war that began on the 6th October 1973 and ended less than three weeks later – yet somehow the Israeli and Arab states combatants, as well as the rest of the world, still live with the aftermath today.
World Book Club: Michael Chabon October 7 – October 31 One hour
American writer Michael Chabon talks about his 2001 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Other People’s Children October 21 – November 15 One hour
Namulanta Kombo hears the stories of domestic workers who spend years away from their homes and families, caring for other people’s children. They talk about the thrill of watching someone else’s child take their first steps, and the challenges of keeping your family together when you’re thousands of miles apart.
Witness History: The Labor Movement August 28– September 30 One hour
A collection of stories related to strikes, campaigns and successes for workers’ rights around the world. Drawn from the BBC’s Witness History program, this specially-curated hour will bring first-hand accounts of significant moments in the labor movement from the US, UK and elsewhere.
Heart and Soul: Faith, terrorists and mercy at Guantanamo Bay September 15 – October 6 Half hour
Dr Jennifer Bryson interrogated suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists at the infamous Guantanamo Bay. She worked at the detention centre in Cuba for two years and says that some of the inmates bragged openly about helping to organise the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
After some time, she started to feel uneasy about some of the ‘enhanced interrogation’ methods she was asked to approve.
What are the moral challenges of this work for a person of faith?
Global News Podcast special: AI: Who Cares? September 16 – October 6 One hour
Nick Miles will be joined by the BBC’s technology editor Zoe Kleinman and a panel of experts to discuss how AI fits into health, the environment, justice, and the workplace. We will be taking questions from people all over the world as well as from our live audience.
Visit BBC Partners for detailed program descriptions, new program rundowns, content downloads, and more.
Program News From August 5 – September 1. 2023, the BBC World Service will be airing Proms concerts on Saturdays at 2-3 PM ET and Sundays at 7-8 AM ET. Please refer to our email from July 5 for full details. Download the BBC WS Proms schedule here Download the BBC summer schedule here
As a BBC affiliate, you have access to rights-cleared videos produced by the BBC. Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre to take advantage of this opportunity and increase your social media presence with consistent, shareable videos centering topics aligned with your audience’s interests.
See below for a curated selection of high-performing videos. Docs and Specials
BBC Monthly docs and specials are here. *If you would like to request an air window extension, please contact your station representative. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted subject to rights.
The Engineers – Lunar Exploration One hour August 12 – September 8 A moon-base, a space station in orbit. Space engineers discuss their return to the moon. In a special public event recorded at the Royal Geographical Society, Kevin Fong presents three world-leading engineers from the US, Italy, and UK who are working to put astronauts on the moon within two years. The Famine at the Edge of the Ocean One hour August 19 – September 15 Journalist Raissa Ioussouf travels to the southeast of Madagascar to meet the people whose lives have been devastated by the country’s worst famine for over 40 years.
The Forum: Pets and Us One hour August 26 – September 22 It took thousands of years to accomplish, but by the 19th century cats and dogs have finally managed to get humans to serve them. We take a scamper through the social history of our best friends.
Monthly BBC Video Selections View the instructional guide and social media best practices resource available on our website. Click the links and images below to preview and download these videos.
Description: Many department stores are lying empty across the US as more of us shop online. One school found a unique use for one of them when they urgently needed a new home.
Suggested social copy: How one US school found a clever solution when they had to quickly find a new home.
Description: Vietnam is one of the biggest producers and exporters of rice in the world, but the livelihood of some farmers is under threat. Seawater intrusion has long been a problem in the low-lying Mekong Delta, where more than half of the country’s rice is grown. During the dry season, the salty water can leach into fields and ruin crops. It’s thought rising sea levels may be exacerbating the problem. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the government of Vietnam have launched a smartphone app, which monitors the saltiness of the water. The data helps rice farmers decide when to flush out the paddy fields with freshwater to protect their crops.
Suggested social copy: Seawater intrusion has long been a problem in Vietnam’s low-lying Mekong Delta. Could a smartphone app help protect the livelihood of rice farmers?
Description: You don’t usually notice it because it tends to just fall out on its own. However, if you’ve ever had your ears blocked, you may have wondered what earwax is for. While earwax build-up can normally be removed easily at home, some common practices could be harmful to our hearing.
Suggested social copy: If you’ve ever had your ears blocked, you may have wondered what earwax is for. Duration: 2 minute 2 seconds
For all stations: American Public Media is thrilled to showcase the most memorable performances of the 2023 BBC Proms, the U.K.’s annual celebration of classical music. Share up to eight weeks of memorable performances from London’s Royal Albert Hall.
SymphonyCast will broadcast eight concerts in their entirety, including the last night of Proms. All concerts will follow the standard SymphonyCast clock (1:59).
Hosted by Steve Seel, these eight programs are available to all APM affiliate stations, free of charge via ContentDepot, regardless of SymphonyCast carriage. These are regular weekly feeds, and open for all Proms concerts.
For BBC affiliates: The BBC World Service will broadcast four specially selected highlight programs of Proms concerts, featuring one each week from Saturday, August 5 through Friday, September 1, with repeats each Sunday. You can view the BBC Proms schedule here.
Highlights of the 2023 season features a Proms debut by South Korean violinist, Bomsori, playing Bruch’s First Violin Concerto, a tribute to Bollywood legend Lata Mangeshkar from the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, an exploration of German Romanticsim from celebrated pianist, Sir Andras Schiff, and a meditation on night and stillness in a stress-busting concert from Grammy-nominated vocal group VOCES8, pianist-composer Ola Gjello, and the Carducci String Quartet.
NOTE: These programs will be broadcast on the BBC World Service – so news stations will hear this classical music programming during the regular World Service schedule and there will be NO POSTS at the bottom of the hour.
These highlight programs make great complements to the full concerts from SymphonyCast and are available for broadcast to all current BBC World Service affiliate stations through APM.
Details and downloads for all seven programs are coming soon to the BBC Media Partner Centre:Broadcast time: Saturdays, 2-3 p.m. ET; repeats Sundays, 7-8 a.m. ET
Length: 53 minutes
Clock: Proms programs will not follow the BBC World Service clock; there are no breaks at the bottom of the hour.
Download the new BBC summer schedule here (updated in June)
As a BBC affiliate, you have access to rights-cleared videos produced by the BBC. Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre to take advantage of this opportunity and increase your social media presence with consistent, shareable videos centering topics aligned with your audience’s interests.
See below for a curated selection of high-performing videos.
Docs and Specials
BBC Monthly docs and specials are here.*If you would like to request an air window extension, please contact your station representative. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted subject to rights.
Women’s Football – Passion versus profit
One hour July 15 – August 4
Ahead of the Women’s Football World Cup 2023, have opportunities for female soccer players around the globe changed? We hear from young women who are passionate about football. Huge progress is being made, though for some it is too slow.
The Forum: The Evolution of teenagers
One hour July 22 – August 11
Paleoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi takes us through the big evolutionary questions about adolescence: Why do humans go through this developmental stage? What’s the point of all that teenage angst? And how come every generation stubbornly repeats the same mistakes?
Women writing Zimbabwe
One hour July 29 – August 18
Reporter Tawanda Mudzonga takes us on a literary tour to explore why Zimbabwe has produced so many talented and renowned women writers.
Description: In Colombia, many premature babies aren’t being kept in incubators. Instead their mothers are holding them against their skin all day long. Kangaroo mother care has life-saving benefits and is now recommended by the World Health Organization.
Suggested social copy: Holding premature babies close to the mother’s skin has life-saving benefits.
Description: Breast cancer is an increasing problem in low and middle income countries, but screening programmes for early detection are a rarity. A company in India has developed a cheap, non-invasive test that uses thermal imaging and AI. Although considered less reliable than mammography, it’s helping to get more women tested.
Suggested social copy: An Indian company has developed a cheap, non-invasive test for breast cancer that uses thermal imaging and AI.
Description: Bruises are bluish or purple-coloured patches that appear on the skin. What exactly happens underneath? Why does a bruise go through a variety of colours as it heals? Should we start to pay more attention to this common form of injury?
Suggested social copy: Why does a bruise go through a variety of colours as it heals?
Duration: 1 minute 35 seconds
Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre for detailed program descriptions, new program rundowns, content downloads and more. To sign up for Media Partner Centre credentials, or for any other details on the site, visit our BBC Partners page for more info.
Thank you for your continued commitment to providing a valuable public media service to your communities. We know that you take your responsibilities as FCC licensees seriously, and want to assure you that APM’s goal is to partner with you and provide consistently high-quality programming that is fully compliant with the FCC’s rules.
We have heard from some of you regarding your frustration with the EAS tones that aired during the BBC World Service program “Witness History.” APM understands—and shares—your frustration and is taking the issue seriously. In addition to strengthening our own compliance procedures, we have been in contact with the BBC and understand that they have updated their procedures to prevent such an incident from happening again.
As you know, APM notified affiliate stations via ContentDepot and the FCC of the “Witness History” EAS tone issue on May 25 and again on May 30 after learning that an additional edition had been impacted. APM did this on behalf of its owned stations (MPR News and LAist/SCPR) and as the distributor of BBC programming. We have not yet heard from FCC staff regarding the incident. However, based on previous FCC cases, we anticipate that the FCC will seek information from APM and that APM’s responses will serve as the foundation for the FCC’s investigation.
Ultimately, it could take more than a year for the issue to be resolved, but we anticipate that the FCC’s investigation will focus on APM and not individual stations. Additionally, while individual station fines are possible, APM anticipates that any fine would be assessed against it and not affiliate stations.
Thank you again for your commitment to public media
Please reach out to your station rep if you have any questions.
Beginning June 11, 2023, the BBC will launch Happy News, a weekly collection of positive stories including inspiring audio, uplifting interviews and joyous reflection from the people at the center of positive stories around the world.
The program offers hope, agency and empathy. Examples of stories featured: educating Afghan girls through the new BBC DARS service, using shrimp infused bandages to clot blood on the battlefield, and making use of otherwise wasted energy by heating swimming pools while cooling data centres.
Launch date: June 11, 2023 – weekly broadcast
Broadcast window: within 7 days of Sunday 5:30pm ET
Download availability: from Sunday 5:30pm ET for 7 days
As a BBC affiliate, you have access to rights-cleared videos produced by the BBC. Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre to take advantage of this opportunity and increase your social media presence with consistent, shareable videos centering topics aligned with your audience’s interests.
See below for a curated selection of high-performing videos.
Docs and Specials
*If you would like to request an air window extension, please contact your station representative. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted subject to rights.
Witness History: Pride Month
One hour June 1 – 30
Curated from the BBC’s Witness History program, significant moments in LGBTQ history – as told by the people who were there.
Controlled & Connected – 50 Years of the cell phone
One hour June 17 – July 7
50 years on from the first mobile phone call, this programme examines how the device has revolutionised the way we live our lives. What have we gained and what have we lost from our relationship with this small device which has gone from being a phone to a mini computer in all our pockets?
Forum – Global mass tourism
One hour June 24 – July 21
Drawing on listeners’ questions and comments, Rajan Datar examines the way mass tourism has impacted people’s lives, both positively and negatively, and looks for lessons from the history of tourism that can help us find a more balanced future for the industry.
Monthly BBC Video Selections:
View the instructional guide and social media best practices resource available on our website. Click the links and images below to preview and download these videos.
Description: The Cogy wheelchair is driven entirely by pedal power. And it can even be used by people who are severely paralysed. For more solutions, download the People Fixing the World podcast. Video Journalist: Cheng Herng Shinn
Suggested social copy: The Cogy wheelchair is making life easier for many people with mobility problems.
Description: Prof Thalia Eley, developmental behavioural geneticist at King’s College London, takes a look at the positive qualities of quiet people that are often undervalued by society.
Suggested social copy: Different personalities have a range of strengths with distinct evolutionary advantages.
Description: The exact causes of sleepwalking are unknown but scientists have thought that genetic factors, illnesses or even just needing to go to the toilet are possible triggers. One thing is certain though, it’s not dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker.
Suggested social copy: We don’t know what causes sleepwalking but scientists say waking up a sleepwalker is safe.
Duration: 2 minutes 13 seconds
Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre for detailed program descriptions, new program rundowns, content downloads and more. To sign up for Media Partner Centre credentials, or for any other details on the site, visit our BBC Partners page for more info.
Featuring voices from across the U.S. and around the globe, connect your audience to the world with these unique stories and perspectives. This month, we learn about the impact the US invasion had on young Iraqis in ‘Iraq: Generation Invasion’, take a look into the world of AI and deepfakes in ‘A deep dive into deepfakes’, and learn about our own willpower. See below for details and more unique stories.
Visit our website to learn more, and find links to ContentDepot for programs, promos and billboards.
As a BBC affiliate, you have access to rights-cleared videos produced by the BBC. Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre to take advantage of this opportunity and increase your social media presence with consistent, shareable videos centering topics aligned with your audience’s interests.
See below for a curated selection of high-performing videos.
Docs & Specials
*If you would like to request an air window extension, please contact your station representative. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted subject to rights.
The Documentary: The Making of King Charles
May 2 – 29
Half hour
We explore the campaigns Charles III pursued as Prince and ask what he will do as King.
In this programme, we speak to the people who know him best, to explain the ideas and values which motivated him for so many decades.
What will happen now that he is subject to constraints as a constitutional monarch and expected to be impartial?
*Note: This program makes reference to King Charles’ coronation on May 6, 2023
Iraq: Generation Invasion
May 20 – June 9
One hour
Young Iraqis recall life under US-occupation and speak of their hopes for the future.
Forum – A deep dive into deepfakes
May 27 – June 23
One hour
Misinformation spread by faked images is almost as old as film itself. Presenter Iszi Lawrence invites a panel of experts to tackle your questions about AI technology and the uses of deepfakes.
Monthly BBC Video Selections:
View the instructional guide and social media best practices resource available on our website. Click the links and images below to preview and download these videos.
Description: Scientists on a remote island in the Indian Ocean have been using the albatross as their eyes in the sky to track down illegal fishing boats. Video by Richard Kenny.
Suggested social copy: How scientists are using the albatross to track down illegal fishing boats.
Description: Ironing vendors are common across India. The irons are heated using charcoal, a fuel that contributes to air pollution. But Vinisha Umashankar, from Tamil Nadu, has found a clean solution. Vinisha’s ironing cart is powered by solar energy, which can be stored in batteries and used during the night. Her invention was a finalist for the 2021 Earthshot Prize. Includes footage from The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet. (Image: Vinisha sits on her solar-powered ironing cart, Credit: Earthshot Prize.)
Suggested social copy: 14-year-old Vinisha Umashankar’s clean solution to reduce pollution caused by ironing vendors in India.
Description: Our ability to resist short-term desires for long term goals impacts every area of our lives. Research suggests that willpower is a crucial predictor of lifelong success and happiness.
Suggested social copy: Do people who exercise greater self-control have greater success in life?
Featuring voices from across the U.S. and around the globe, connect your audience to the world with these unique stories and perspectives. This month, we learn about how we discovered climate change in The Climate Question, people share stories about King Charles ahead of his coronation in ‘The Day I Met the King’ and then we learn how a hairdresser is fighting oil spills. See below for details and more unique stories.
Visit our website to learn more, and find links to ContentDepot for programs, promos and billboards.
As a BBC affiliate, you have access to rights-cleared videos produced by the BBC. Visit the BBC Media Partner Centre to take advantage of this opportunity and increase your social media presence with consistent, shareable videos centering topics aligned with your audience’s interests.
See below for a curated selection of high-performing videos.
Docs and Specials
*If you would like to request an air window extension, please contact your station representative. Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted subject to rights.
The Climate Question: How did we discover climate change / Does the answer to climate change lie in space?
One hour April 9 – 29, 2023
An amateur scientist called Eunice Foote discovered the link between CO2 and global warming in America in 1856. That was 167 years ago. If we’ve known about climate change for so long, why haven’t people taken it more seriously? Then, does the answer to our insatiable need for energy have its solution in space-based solar farms?
The hidden caste codes of Silicon Valley
Half hour April 18 – May 8, 2023
Indian workers are thriving in Silicon Valley, but some say they face caste discrimination.
The Day I Met The King
One hour April 29 – May 26, 2023
To coincide with his Coronation, people from across the world recall their meetings with King Charles III of the United Kingdom.
Monthly BBC Video Selections:
View the instructional guide and social media best practices resource available on our website. Click the links and images below to preview and download these videos.
Description: The Louisiana coastal wetlands are being washed away, leaving the region more vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding. Now, restaurants in New Orleans are recycling their oyster shells so they can be used to build sea walls.
Suggested social copy: Restaurants in New Orleans are recycling their oyster shells in an effort to protect the Louisiana coastline.
Description: Just like us, honeybees get sick. But they have a clever way of protecting against parasites… Professor Jaap de Roode from Emory University explains how beekeepers could have unintentionally put honeybees at risk by selecting against this self-medicating behaviour.
Suggested social copy: Honeybees self-medicate against parasites – but are beekeepers putting them at risk?
BBC World Service carried out a strategic review, looking at how to serve our audiences around the world in an even better way and meet our financial challenges.
The wider BBC World Service strategy sees a greater emphasis on building impact and delivering long-term audience engagement bringing benefit to our partners and the BBC. It will support the digital transformation ambitions of the BBC with an increased focus on BBC platforms. World Service English continues to recognise the value of partnerships and we look forward our continued collaboration.
Whilst there will be changes, World Service English will continue to offer:
High-quality international content that transcends borders and cultural divides to facilitate a global conversation
A multi-genre 24/7 schedule rich mix of programming
News and Current Affairs still at its core, with some additional live news and sport and feature programmes being introduced
A clear focus on development of our digital and podcast offer to reach new audiences, especially younger audiences
The changes are driven by a focus on content offering:
Explanation, context and analysis
First class storytelling – investigations, documentaries, and human interest
Engagement and involvement of the audience
Whilst there are some programme closures there is investment in new initiatives which bring benefit to the BBC and our partners across the world.
4 April sees the launch of a new 26 minutes 30 second programme explaining new technology, its impact, and meeting the people behind the innovations reshaping lives in every part of our world.
20 April sees the launch of a new hour-long programme exploring the world through science, looking at the latest developments and how they may change our lives.
From 1 April the 08:06 GMT edition of Weekend on Saturday and Sunday will be extended ending at 08:59 GMT (formally ended at 08:29 GMT)
From 22 April The Forum increases duration to 49 minutes 30 seconds (fromally 40 minutes 30 seconds GMT)
From 1 April a new 49 minutes 30 seconds slot, Discussion and Documentary, brings together four monthly programmes into a weekly* offer to explore the lives, cultures and attitudes of people from around the world: World Book Club, World Questions, The Documentary Weekend and The Forum.
All four programmes can be taken on an individual basis
*If there are 5 weeks in a month, there will be a second The Documentary Weekend
From 1 April new 17 minute 30 second slot, Weekend Insights, brings together Trending (24 episodes annually) / The Explanation (20 episodes annually) / World of Wisdom (8 episodes annually) into a weekly offer to explain the stories the world is sharing via social media, unpacks complex news stories and answers your spiritual questions.
All three programmes can be taken on an individual basis.
The 25 March sees the last edition of The Cultural Frontline as a weekly offer, as it becomes 6 ad hoc episodes annually.
The following programmes will be coming to an end:
The Compass – the last edition will be on the 22 March 2023
Tech Tent – the last edition will be on the 24 March 2023
The Science Hour – the last edition will be on the 26 March 2023
Digital Planet – the last edition will be on the 28 March 2023
Coming Soon
A new podcast, available Monday to Friday, will look at the news and issues that matter to global 16-24 year-olds. A radio version will be available to our partner stations.
