TV & Radio

In Stanley there is only one terrestrial TV station, BFBS 1. This is the military run TV station that broadcasts a mixture of BBC / ITV / Channel4 & Sky programmes. BFBS1 (British Forces Broadcasting Service) is more of a family station. BFBS2 is more of a "lads" station and is available only at the military base.

BFBS also run 2 radio stations that we can pick up. There is also a local radio service called FIRS, Falkland Island Radio Service, they broadcast their own programmes, intermixed with a few Radio 4 and Radio 5 programmes. I have been on FIRS for a broadcast myself.

There is cable / satellite TV available but there is a bit of local debate about this at the moment. You can get over 40 stations by cable if you so wish from a local company. There is an issue as to whether you are allowed to own a receiver that can pick up programmes broadcast from another country. There have been a couple of cases recently where people have bought receivers quite legally in Chile but have been stopped from bringing them into the Falkland Islands. This has caused a few discussions in the local press, the "Penguin News".

The BBC World Service is also available so I can still listen to the Archers if I want to, or listen to live football from Radio 5. We are 3 hours behind GMT so I usually can listen to football commentary on the way home from work.