[5] Before and after the end of the Second World War various radio stations were set up, some using the FBS name, others using the name British Forces Network (BFN), but by the early 1960s these had all adopted the BFBS name.

BFBS broadcasts to service personnel and their families and friends worldwide with local radio studios in Belize, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Germany, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Nepal and operational areas.

[12] In addition, BFBS the Forces Station[13] is heard by troops in Ascension Island, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia, Estonia, and the Netherlands, as well as onboard Royal Navy ships at sea via live satellite links, online at BFBS Radio, on Sky channel 0211 in the United Kingdom only, via an Astra 2 transponder and on Freesat channel 786.

From 12 January 2008, BFBS began a trial period of broadcasting nationwide across the UK on DAB, which ran until 31 March 2008.

Audience research carried out during the trial concluded that it was successful and broadcasts continued for eight years[14] until 6 March 2017 when the service ceased due to the cost to the charity SSVC.

[16] BFBS UK base stations now broadcast using DAB in Aldershot, Aldergrove, Blandford, Bovington, Brize Norton, Bulford, Catterick, Colchester, Edinburgh, Fort George, Holywood, Inverness, Lisburn, and Portsmouth.

It is similar in style to BBC Radio 2, playing current music and chat, as well as regular news bulletins.

[19] In December 2011, the UK's Smooth Radio broadcast its national breakfast show, presented by Simon Bates, from the BFBS studios in Camp Bastion.

In addition, there are themed online stations under the BFBS branding; they are Beats, Rewind, Best of British (replaced Unwind), Edge (formerly Dirt) and Samishran.

BFBS Gurkha Network broadcasts on AM and DAB in selected UK locations as well as on FM in the Falkland Islands, Afghanistan, Brunei, Nepal, Belize and on Ops.

[25] It ceased broadcasts from Berlin on 15 July 1994, following the end of the Cold War, German reunification, and the withdrawal of British forces from the city, after 33 years.

BFBS broadcast in Hong Kong until 30 June 1997, before Chinese People's Liberation Army replaced British forces in the city.

[32] This used taped broadcasts from the BBC and ITV, flown to Germany from London, which were then rebroadcast using low-power UHF transmitters.

[39] BFBS Television was broadcast in some areas as a terrestrial service in the clear using low-power transmitters to minimise "overspill" to non-service audiences and protect copyright.

[49] In the Falkland Islands, SSVC TV was originally only available to entitled viewers in Mount Pleasant, and when a repeater in Sapper Hill was installed by civilians to relay the signal to Stanley in 1988, it was shut down owing to issues related to broadcasting rights for US programming.

Fewer overseas troop deployments and reduced budgets resulted in a change to the previous TV service.

[64] On 30 June 2022, due to the loss of its Freeview channel slot, Forces TV permanently ceased operations.