NOTE FOR FILE
UNCLASSIFIED
PA
Grondeantry.
BBC HONG KONG RELAY STATION
37
1.
Mr Joynes, Head of BBC External Services Overseas Administration, telephoned last week to express increasing concern at belated objections being made by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Administration to BBC plans to start testing the transmitters at the new relay station on full power.
2.
The BBC's plans and schedule for installation and testing the transmitters had been known to all those concerned in Hong Kong since at least 1983. The Hong Kong CAA had been represented at meetings in 1983 at which they had had ample opportunity to comment on the BBC's proposals, but had not done so. The Executive Council had approved the broadcasting licence in June and the BBC had not unreasonably assumed their testing schedule was acceptable. Mr Joynes said he understood that the CAA objections were related to concerns about possible interference with Chinese aviation communications across the border. The timing of the BBC's transmitter testing schedule was tight and they had to start soon if they were to meet their official start up date of 27 September when Mr Tusa planned to be in Peking. He understood Miss Ann Shepherd from the Political Adviser's Office was aware of these developments.
3.
I told Mr Joynes we had alerted Mr Pearce (Me Clift's Deputy) to his concerns and I encouraged him to speak frankly to him when he was in Hong Kong from 14-18 July. He undertook to let me know how he got on when he returned from Hong Kong.
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HKD 306 NEMWEO IN REGÍSTRY
16
2 0 JUL 1987
FFICER
C J Rawlinson
Information Department
15 July 1987
REGIST
Action akan
Mek 2017
I abso
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Griffed In Clift
Ого
10 July.
Са
Cc:
Mr Leeks HKD
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