p.r. Madia 181 (301/1)
Mar Brake 27/12 Amething w/ Phs Sandy 2871
Mulis 301/1
мив RECE
15
¿A
1993
ISTRY
REGISTRY Action Taken
27/10
From: R H G Davies
Information Department
Date: 26 October 1993
CC: PS
PS/Mr Lennox-Boyd PS/PUS
Mr Hum
Mr Masefield
Sir M Burton
Sir John Ramsden o.r FED
HKD
SEAD
SAD
MED
News Department
Mr Alston
PS/Mr Goodlad
BBC WORLD SERVICE TELEVISION AND STAR TV
180
1. I minuted on 12 October about the dispute between WSTV and the new Murdoch management of Star TV of Hong Kong over WSTV's plans to introduce an Arabic service which would overlap in the Middle East with the WSTV channel on Star.
2. As widely reported in the press, the legal action taken by the BBC has produced an undertaking from Star not to terminate the contract with WSTV and take them off the air, pending a ruling by the courts on whether the proposed Arabic service does or does not infringe the terms of the contract. The hearing on this will not take place until the New Year. The BBC are confident that the decision will be in their
They are meanwhile continuing with preparations for the Arabic service.
3.
This temporary truce does not however mean any improvement in the cool and uneasy WSTV-Star relationship or in its prospects of surviving beyond the optional break point at the end of next year.
RH G Davies