BBC World Service is returning to Hungarian and Romanian-language journalism with the launch of two new digital news offers aimed at audiences across Central and Eastern Europe.
BBC News Magyarul and BBC News Romania will launch in June as pilot services, providing websites and social channels serving audiences in Hungary, Romania, Moldova and neighbouring markets with independent and impartial journalism.
BBC News Magyarul will launch on June 16 at bbc.com/magyarul alongside Facebook and Instagram channels, while BBC News Romania follows on June 23 at bbc.com/romania. YouTube and TikTok channels will launch later.
The services will focus on global and regional developments, covering international affairs, Europe, health, science, technology, climate and cost-of-living issues, delivered in social-first formats designed to reach younger audiences.
The two services will use AI-assisted translation technology with human editorial oversight and labelling where AI tools are used. Alongside translated content, the editorial teams will produce original reporting and analysis.
The move marks a further expansion of BBC World Service after the launch of BBC News Polska in 2025. The Polish-language service reached an average weekly audience of 537,000 in its first year, rising to 808,000 in the latest quarter, with women accounting for almost 60% of its audience.
Fiona Crack, interim global director of BBC News, said: “In an age of shrinking press freedom, rising disinformation, and global uncertainty, delivering independent and impartial news has never been more important. Launching BBC News Magyarul and BBC News Romania is a milestone built on innovation, like AI-assisted translation tools used responsibly, in order to reach new audiences with trusted news.”
Kateryna Khinkulova, editorial lead for both services, said the launch would help extend the BBC’s reach in the region, particularly among women and younger audiences.
The launch expands BBC World Service to 45 languages including English.
The BBC previously operated Hungarian-language radio and online services between 1939 and 2005, while the Romanian service ran from 1939 until 2008.
The relaunch comes as public broadcasters increase investment in Central and Eastern Europe amid concerns over disinformation, declining media plurality and political pressure on local media outlets. The BBC has been steadily rebuilding language services in the region, with BBC News Polska becoming its first new language launch in Europe for several years.
The expansion also reflects a broader BBC strategy of using AI-assisted translation to extend the reach of World Service journalism. The corporation has increasingly experimented with translated content workflows, including YouTube auto-dubbing and AI-supported localisation, while maintaining editorial oversight.
