I have lived in Pattaya for nearly fourteen years and every day I spend hours listening to BBC Sounds, Radio 2. They have been threatening to block it to those living abroad for months but now there is a message saying it will be blocked from 21st July. I am going to miss that very much. I hate change. 

In all my years in Thailand i have never listened to the BBC's broadcasts. Before then for a couple of decades in Hong Kong I almost always tuned in to what was then called the BBC World Service, a 24-hour English channel with news on the hour interspersed with a number of very good programmes. I'm not even sure if it exists any more.

My very first job after university was as a trainee with the BBC in London. We had to spend three months of that course working in Bush House, a very large building centrally situated in the midle of The Strand. This was then the location of the World Service. But it also broadcast programmes in a total of around 45 different languages and was paid for by the government. As Studio Managers, we rarely worked on 'live' programmes. Most had been taped in advance. So all we had to do was pick up the relevant tape from the library, go to the tiny cubicle of a studio, do all the checks and balances and then wait for the red light to come on when we would start the tape rolling.

Sometimes I recall having to work the night shift when we would broadcast the news around the world starting with China and then working our way through various countries before the last one to Germany. What I remember most, though, was the basement buffet canteen. Catering for so many nationalities, it had a wondrous array of dishes i had never heard of before, let alone taste. I have often wondered if it was the cuisine in that canteen that developed my love of travel.

Gave up on BBC 2 when they started removing the likes of Steve Wright, Simon Mayo and PopMaster, so now listen to Greatest Hits Radio instead. 

5 hours ago, Ruthrieston said:

I have lived in Pattaya for nearly fourteen years and every day I spend hours listening to BBC Sounds, Radio 2. They have been threatening to block it to those living abroad for months but now there is a message saying it will be blocked from 21st July. I am going to miss that very much. I hate change. 

That would be a big blow with it being such a part of your routine. 

All may not be lost however as there seem to be some other access routes to Radio 2 and other stations that are worth exploring.

 

The BBC has said its radio stations will continue to be available for people outside the UK to listen to live after BBC Sounds access is restricted for international listeners.

BBC Sounds will close for listeners outside the UK on 21 July 2025.

International listeners will be able to listen to the BBC's radio stations through links on the station directory online, the BBC said.

This includes the BBC's national stations - BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, and Radio 3, 6Music, 1Xtra and Asian Network, Radio 4Xtra and 5Live - all the stations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and every local radio station in England.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8j1m721mp2o

 

I'm using proton VPN paid version.  (not affiliated or advertising) it gets me just about anywhere I need to visit... including pirate bay for all my content. 

What is the VPN paid version and how could I access it please?

Years ago when working late, everyone else gone home, I would play ClassicFM (London) on my desktop computer, US West Coast.  Way back then there was also Yahoo Radio.  Remember that?  I used to crank up the Latino pop station on Yahoo.  So good!

Anyway, ClassicFM Website attempted to limit access, and required to enter a qualifying address code.  So I looked up an address in London and plugged that in.  Yes, it was wrong of me, but I needed my ClassicFM. 😉   Good old days. 

Yahoo Radio service  ended and so did my days of working late and listening to ClassicFM. 

Nowadays it seems they have no restriction.

I only read about these sites on a music blog. Seems Classic FM has been going downhill in terms of listeners for quite some time. It has recently pinched a young producer Joseph Zubier from the BBC's Radio 3 classical channel to become its new Deputy MD.

20 hours ago, PeterRS said:

I only read about these sites on a music blog. Seems Classic FM has been going downhill in terms of listeners for quite some time. It has recently pinched a young producer Joseph Zubier from the BBC's Radio 3 classical channel to become its new Deputy MD.

I remember, me, working nights, alone in my office in LA, kept company by posh, London accents spinning the Korngold violin (Gil Shahan) concerto during the overnight show.

Yes, nothing stays the same.