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13. The BBC had responded to FCO enquiries about improving audibility in South Africa by proposing a redirection of the aerial system at the Lesotho relay station. There would however be a consequential deterioration of audibility in Zimbabwe and Zambia, which might not be totally restored when the Seychelles relay was operational. Mr Reeve said that given a choice between the present coverage of the Front Line States and South Africa it was preferable to leave things as they were at present. Nevertheless he hoped it would be possible to explore the possibility of maintaining coverage of Central Africa as at present and introducing additional facilities to cover South Africa from Lesotho and it was agreed to follow this up in more detail
with the BBC.
14.
Mr Day mentioned complaints from posts in the Arab World about the non audiblity of the Arabic Service
which was losing ground to other broadcasters such as Radio Monte Carlo. It was agreed that we should ask the BBC to do
some audience research.
Future Projects
15. Dr Wilson questioned the proposal for a Medium Wave transmitter in Singapore, in view of the local topography. Mr Ratford said the proposal to put a medium wave transmitter on Gibraltar might have its attractions
The
Committee agreed there might be a case for improving the BBC signal to the Maghreb. But the main centres of population and government had to be covered. A 50kW transmitter was probably insufficiently powerful. More information was needed about possible transmitter sites on Gibraltar and footprints of the likely signal in North Africa. Dr Wilson saw little merit in considering a Medium Wave transmitter Hong Kong. The topography was wrong and the time available
to use it before 1997 too short.
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