The Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) has condemned attempts that are being made to interfere with the broadcasts of international broadcasters on short wave in the Asia region.
English-language broadcasts from the BBC World Service, Radio Australia and Voice of America beamed towards China are being deliberately interfered with by the jamming of a number of frequencies. Such jamming makes it difficult or sometimes impossible to listen to the broadcasts that include news, current affairs, science and entertainment.
Research undertaken by the broadcasters and by independent monitors in the Asia region indicate that the source of the jamming is within the People’s Republic of China.
“AIB condemns this latest interference to the broadcasts of the BBC, ABC Radio Australia and Voice of America,” said Simon Spanswick, chief executive of the AIB.
“Free access to information is a universal human right, and this interference is preventing audiences based within China to hear news from outside the country. It comes at a time when China’s own international broadcasters – on radio and television – are expanding rapidly around the world. They do not suffer from attempts by other nations to silence them. AIB calls on China to cease its jamming activities.”
Broadcasts in Mandarin from broadcasters including the BBC, Radio Free Asia and Voice of America have been interfered with for many years. This is the first time that English-language services have been targeted in such a widespread way.
AIB is lodging protests with the Chinese Foreign Ministry and its Missions in Canberra, London and Washington DC.