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broadcast an increase of 1 hour a day in Mandarin and a new
Korean Service of 30 minutes a day. If this was not
possible, the increase in Mandarin could be restricted to 30
minutes a day.
9. In the light of the limitations of the new Seychelles
relay station even to carry Somali, Swahili, Portuguese for
Africa and the World Service, and the fact that the World
Service apparently had quite a considerable audience in Ethiopia, it was agreed that the idea of an Amharic Service
should be reconsidered in the context of the next audibility programme (from 1991 onwards). Mr Barrington asked for more
evidence from the Post about the case for Amharic. The
relative merits of the Somali Service were discussed and, in
view of HM Ambassador at Mogadishu's comments about the
value of the Service despite the periodic criticism of the
Somali President, it was agreed that no recommendations
should be made to reduce or cut the Service, which would in
any event be the subject of a detailed scrutiny when the
African Service was reviewed in December 1986.
10. The contradiction between the Embassy in Maputo's low
priority assessment of the value of the Portuguese for
Africa Service in the context of the recent Top Management
Objectives and Resources exercise and the recent 15 minute a
day increase in the Service (fulfilling decisions made over
a year ago) was discussed briefly. In view of the inclusion
of the External Services' ring-fenced resources in the
exercise as well as the highly questionable, notional
allocation of World Service costs which had distorted the
resources picture, replies from posts to this exercise had
to be treated with caution. In the light of the current
importance of the Front Line States, and because we should
not chop and change but give new alterations a chance, it
was agreed not to reduce the Portuguese Service but to bear
the post's reservations in mind when reviewing the African
Service in December 1986.
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