BBC World Service is adding two digital language services for audiences in Central and Eastern Europe.
BBC News Magyarul and BBC News Romania will provide news and analysis through dedicated websites and social media channels.
The Hungarian service will go live on Tuesday 16 June, followed by the Romanian service on Tuesday 23 June. Both will launch on Facebook and Instagram first, with YouTube and TikTok channels planned later.
The pilot services will serve audiences across Hungary, Romania, Moldova and beyond, covering global and regional developments as well as European current affairs, health, science, technology, climate and cost of living.
Both editorial teams will use AI translation tools, with journalists curating the output and checking all AI assisted content. The BBC says such content will be clearly labelled, while the teams will also produce original reports and analysis.
Fiona Crack, Interim Global Director, BBC News, said: “Delivering independent and impartial news has never been more important.”
Kateryna Khinkulova, Editorial Lead for BBC News Magyarul and BBC News Romania, said the offer is tailored to subjects “of special relevance to the audiences we serve”.
The new services take the BBC World Service’s global content offer to 45 languages including English.
The BBC previously served Hungarian speaking audiences from 1939 to 2005, while its Romanian service operated from 1939 to 2008.
