Farewell, BBC!

Since 1939 the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) has broadcast in Romania. The programme is to be discontinued as of August 1. In an article for the Romanian blog ACUM, former BBC employee Petru Clej gives a nostalgic review: "With the conclusion of Romania's BBC programme an important symbol will disappear. For the older generation it brings back memories of the war, when Radio London strived to correct the false information delivered by Hitler and Antonescu. During the times of the 'Cold War', which lasted considerably longer, the BBC once again broke the information block of a totalitarian regime, this time that of the communists. After the fall of communism the BBC service in Romania reached the peak of its popularity, with around 16 percent of Romanian adults tuning in to its programmes. ... In Romania the BBC was always a model for how public opinion can be formed: with rational, unbiased journalism that never relied on shrill tones or flashy but meaningless pamphlets as the Romanian media does. ... Farewell, BBC. We will miss you!"

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