Here’s something I heard about on Radio Cymru this morning.
If you’re using the BBC Sounds app to listen to Radio Cymru overseas, it will stop working when the BBC launches its new international BBC.COM app. This will happen “in the spring”, so there’s no definite date yet. Unfortunately, the new app will feature only two radio stations; the English language Radio 4 and the World Service. So no Radio Cymru.
The BBC has said that Radio Cymru will continue to be available on “all other platforms” by which I assume they mean other streaming services and the BBC Sounds web site.
Here’s the story - It’s in Welsh and I doubt if they’ll make an English version available.
Disclaimer - I have an iPhone (not my choice - work mandates it) and didn’t research Android.
TuneIn is an app that I’ve used previously, but the free version doesn’t support ‘local’ (I know, I know) BBC radio. The paid for version costs £9.99, I think.
A free alternative is the snappily-named British FM Radio - Live Player and I was able to download and install this very easily and find Radio Cymru with a simple search. Seemed to work smoothly enough. I haven’t been able to do any kind of long-term test, of course.
Edited to add - If you use a smart speaker, then I fully expect it still to work after BBC Sounds becomes restricted. I only wish Alexa would learn to pronounce the Radio part of Radio Cymru correctly.
Yes, I’m not happy about this! I’ve got “Radio Garden” on my phone, and it brings up a surprising number of little local radio stations in Cymru, but I can’t find Radio Cymru anywhere. Focusing on Carmarthen gives me Cymru FM, which was at least playing Welsh language songs just now, but the majority were English language “golden oldies”
I guess I’ll have to research the “other platforms” you’ve mentioned above, Rob.
EDIT: I found the Live Player and got Radio Cymru on it, so I suppose I’ll have to swap to that once Sounds no longer works for me.
The BBC-Sounds app is the one I use every day for Radio Cymru. It works great here in mainland Europe and of course there are no ads so I’ll be sad if the BBC switches it off. I do have the free version of TuneIn app on my iPhone as well and it’s ok with BBC Radio Cymru. Had it on all this evening and didn’t hear any ads.
