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DRAFT ANSWER TO PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION
BBC EXTERNAL SERVICES
The BBC's External Services are a valuable national asset.
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is essential that they should be audible. Over the years various plans for a capital equipment programme have been subject to postponement. The Government are now determined that a major effort should be made to improve audibility. consultation with the BBC they have drawn up a long-term programme. Some progress has already been made, notably two medium wave transmitters now in Cyprus and four short wave ones due next year. A medium wave transmitter will also come on stream then at
Orfordness.
The new programme envisages existing relay stations being fed by satellite by 1985, 8 modern short wave transmitters operational in the UK by 1985, and 6 more by 1987 and new relay stations being established to cover East Africa and the Far East. There will also be substantial plant replacement and a thorough modernisation of Bush House.
Putting this capital programme into effect at the optimum speed would require an increase in the present PESC provision for expenditure by the External Services from 1983/84 onwards. The Government would be prepared to make a substantial increase in the Grant-in-Aid to help meet this. However in these days of financial stringency we must look for a proportion of the extra costs to be met from the External Services' current operations. The reductions in planned expenditure decided in 1979 were met entirely from the capital provision in both 1980/81 and 1981/82. The Government have accordingly requested the BBC, to make net savings in current services of about £3.0m p.a. (in forecast cash prices) from 1982/83 onwards.
The savings will involve a reduction of 58 hours per week out of a total of 726 hours of broadcasts in all languages, or about 8%. The 24 hours a day of the BBC's excellent World Service in English will not be cut and will be heard more clearly, as will the remaining vernacular services.
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