JAPANESE PRESCRIPTION REVIEW
Until 1987, BBC transmissions in Japanese were broadcast by two-hop High Frequency transmissions via the BBC Far Eastern Relay Station located at Kranji in Singapore. Unfortunately audibility was poor as the transmissions from Kranji were too weak to be competitive.
Audibility improved dramatically in September 1987 when the new BBC East Asia Relay Station opened in Hong Kong. All Japanese broadcasts are now only via Hong Kong which is able to provide strong single-hop signals to the whole of Japan.
In 1982, as part of the 1981-1991 audibility programme, the poor quality, unreliable HF programme feeds to Kranji from the UK were replaced with high quality feeds via the Indian Ocean Intelsat satellite. This led to a significant improvement in audibility of the Japanese transmissions. However, when the HF feeds were closed, particularly those within and adjacent to the international HF broadcast bands, listeners across Europe and Asia who had become accustomed to listening on these frequencies, found they could no longer listen tothe Indonesian transmissions.
The East Asia Relay Station has used a single high quality satellite feed since the station opened.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain audibility of the BBC transmissions due to the increase in congestion in the International HF Broadcasting bands. Many other broadcasters have improved their transmission facilities to this part of the world. In particular the private US Broadcasters have increased dramatically the number of transmitters they use to broadcast to Asia. Other Broadcasters have recently negotiated exchanges on transmission facilities in China and Japan. The resulting increase in congestion is likely to continue as other Broadcasters such as Voice of America, Radio Canada, Radio France and Radio Netherlands, are planning to build new, high power transmission facilities in the Far East/South East Asia. All of these developments compete for a finite number of frequencies. The increase in both number and strength of signals will degrade the subjective audibility of BBC Transmissions.
To remain competitive the BBC will have to consider the possibility of acquiring time on domestic facilities within Japan. The programme feed could be via the HF direct transmission with the necessity of providing a high quality feed via satellite in the longer time.