TNAG-1157-FCO40-1437-Visits-by-FCO-Ministers-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 153

CONFIDENTIAL

2

4.

In August BBC engineers again visited Hong Kong and

looked at alternative sites, including Che Ha, which the Hong

Kong Government indicated. was now no longer ruled out. On

23 November EXCO considered a further proposal, and decided

that:

(a) a site in the Che Ha area should be made available at

cost, subject to the findings of a Working Party set up to consider details of the site and its probable cost;

(b) if the Che Ha site proved impracticable, the BBC should be offered the alternative site at Tsang Tsui.

The Working Party have been asked to report in two months. In

the interim no publicity will be given to this.

BENEFITS FOR HONG KONG

5.

The Relay Station would bring some tangible commercial and technical benefits to Hong Kong. Local listeners would get high quality and comprehensive reception of the BBC's Chinese broadcasts as well as the World Service in English. The satellite feeds to the new station would give studio quality sound for BBC programmes carried by RTHK which, additionally, would no longer have to pay for ad hoc feeds. With a much

sharper World Service signal, much of the transcription material that RTHK is currently buying from the BBC would no longer be needed. RTHK could also benefit from visits by senior BBC

engineers in connection with the Relay Station. The Hong Kong Government may ask for further concessions as the price of their cooperation with the project, for example free use of all transcription material and in the longer term the provision of additional satellite time: they have not yet, however, made any

approach to HMG or the BBC on this.

CONFIDENTIAL

/6.