TNAG-1695-FCO40-2351-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-1987 — Page 33

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YOUR TELNO 1986: BBC RELAY STAT MON

1. JOYNES CALLED ON ME 14 JULY. JAM BIDDULPH HAD EARLIER SPOKEN TO THE GOVERNOR. THE NUB OF THE PROBLEM NS THAT THE BBC HAD HOPED BY NOW TO HAVE BEGUN TESTING THE NEW STATION IN ORDER TO START BROADCAST MNG ON 27 SEPTEMBER. TESTING HAD BEEN DELAYED BECAUSE OF CIVIL AVLATION DEPARTMENT'S CONCERN THAT HIGH POWER TRANSMISS HONS FROM THE STATION COULD POSE A PROBLEM FOR AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTS UP TO A DISTANCE OF 12.7 KM. CAD HAD ALSO SUGGESTED THAT, SINCE SOME CHINESE AIRSPACE FELL WITHIN THIS RADIUS, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHOULD BE ALERTED TO THE POSSIBLE RISK OF

THE PR AWHAT:ION.

2. REFERENCE TO THE CHINESE WOULD AT THE VERY LEAST CAUSE CONSIDERABLE FURTHER DELAY. GIVEN THE LIKELY INVOLVEMENT OF CAAC, AND THE CURRENT TALK OF A SHENZHEN AIRPORT ON THE COAST OF DEEP BAY, IT COULD PROVE HMPOSSIBLE TO SATISFY THEM. HOWEVER, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ENGINEERS OUTSIDE CAD, INCLUDING THE POSTMASTER GENERAL, CONS-NDER THAT CAD HAVE EXAGGERATED BEEN OVER CAUTIOUS IN SETTING THE DISTANCE AT WHICH INTERFERENCE TO #NSTRUMENTS MIGHT OCCUR. THE BBC SAY THAT THEY HAVE NUMEROUS STATIONS IN BRITAIN AND ELSEWHERE, MANY OF THEM MORE POWERFUL THAN THIS ONE, THAT HAVE HAD NO ADVERSE EFFECT ON NEARBY AIRFIELDS AND FLIGHT PATHS.

3. AT A MEETING BETWEEN THE PMG, CAD AND BBC EXPERTS ON 15 JULY *KT EMERGED THAT CAD BASED THER VIEW ON CALCULATIONS SUPPORTED BY THE UK CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY. SINCE THE 12.7 KM RULE S NOT APPLIED IN PRACTICE IN THE UK, THIS IS ODD. CAD HAVE SOUGHT CLARIFICATION FROM UK CAA, WHO HAVE NOW AGREED THAT A 5.6 KM DISTANCE IS MORE LIKE T, BUT THE HR REPLY WAS SOMEWHAT AMBIGUOUS AND SUGGSTED THAT SOME INTERFERENCE WAS POSSIBLE OUTSIDE THAT RADIUS. BOTH CAD AND BBC ARE PRESSING UK CAA TO CLARIFY FURTHER. PMG, CAD AND BBC WILL MEET AGAIN ON 23 JULY, AND WE HOPE THAT AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED ON THE BASIS OF A 5.6 KM ''SAFETY ZONE' WHICH WOULD CAUSE US NO DIFFICULTIES, AND WOULD NOT INTRUDE INTO CHINESE ARSAPCE. THE BBC COULD THEN START TESTING IMMEDIATELY.

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