24 JUL '91 10:15
FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE TV
L
iii) We (the BBC) are merely seeking the rights to broadcast a simultaneous interpretation of the News on our 24 hour channel. We would not be planning to dub other programmes (and advertisements) into Cantonese. The economic threat to existing broadcasters posed by this is therefore minimal.
But the political
enormous.
advantages
are
c)
Uplinking World service Radio
The deal with Hutchvision provides for to give access (at substantially below market rates) to up to six channels worth of audio subcarrier to relay World Service Radio. The radio channels would occupy both the northern and southern beams of Asiasat, and would be carried on transponders that are dedicated to WSTV. There is much sympathy for this both in Hong Kong and in London. But it does require an amendment of the uplink licence. The sole financial beneficiary from this arrangement is Bush House (and therefore the Foreign Office grant-in-aid),
Argument:
i) access to subcarriers on Asiasat creates opportunities to provide a high quality sound signal from Bush House to rebroadcasters throughout Asia. Rebroadcasting is already a Foreign Office priority, reflected in the Triennium statement.
ii) Access to Asiasat transponders would provide opportunities for all the Bush services with an interest
the footprint including English, Arabic,
in
Pashtu, Nepali, Hindi, Urdu, Burmese,
Simbala, Tamil, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Chinese, Russian etc. It would be silly to miss the opportunity.
HUGH WILLIAMS
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
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