TNAG-1744-FCO40-2463-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-by-Lor-1988 — Page 43

CONFIDENTIAL

INFO PRIORITY FCO

OF 22103OZ JUNE 88

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE PEKING

TELNO 89

HRB

027/1

ner

2. JUN 1960

TOP

147

162701

MDLIAN 7161

FOR PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

~ (01113) (282)

YOUR TELNO 1569; LORD GLENARTHUR'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

•

137

1. THE REFERENCE TO THE BBC IN MY TELNO 2314 TO FCO WAS TO THE PROPOSAL FOR A 24 HOUR RELAY OF THE BBC WORLD SERVICE IN HONG KONG UNDER A NEW RADIO 6 WAVELENGTH ON RTHK. THIS IS NOT A BURNING ISSUE, BUT THERE WERE TWO COMMENTARIES IN THE LOCAL (BUT NOT LEFT-WING) PRESS LAST MONTH DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE POST-1997 IMPLICATIONS OF THIS, SO IT MIGHT POSSIBLY COME UP AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

BACKGROUND

2. ON 12 MAY 1987, EXCO CALLED FOR AN INTERNAL REVIEW OF THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF RELAYING THE WORLD SERVICE ON RTHK RADION 5 BETWEEN 0600 AND 0700 AND THEN BETWEEN 1700 AND 0230 (THE FOLLOWING DAY).

3. THE

CONCLUSIONS OF THIS INTERNAL REVIEW SHOWED THAT A

24 HOUR RELAY WOULD:

(A) ENABLE LISTENERS TO FOLLOW UPDATED NEWS THROUGHOUT THE DAY: (B) ENABLE THE BBC WORLD SERVICE TO ESTABLISH ITS OWN CHANNEL IDENTITY AND HENCE INCREASE ITS AUDIENCE:

(C) AVOID THE PRACTICE OF SUSPENDING THE RELAY OF THE BBC WORLD SERVICE WHENEVER THE LEGCO RELAY ON RADIO 3 OVERRUNS ITS ALLOCATED TIME SLOT AND IS SWITCHED OVER TO RADIO 5.

A 24 HOUR RELAY OF THE BBC WORLD SERVICE CAN BE ACHIEVED BY ESTABLISHING A NEW RADIO 6 OF RTHK. WE ARE NEGOTIATING WITH THE BBC OVER THE DETAILED TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. THE BBC INDICATED INTEREST IN THE PROPOSAL, WHICH IS NOT DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT SINCE THEY HAVE ALREADY ARRANGED FOR A 24 HOUR SATELLITE FEED OF THE WORLD SERVICE TO THE HONG KONG RELAY STATION.

REACTION FROM THE PRESS

5. SASI DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE BBC IN LONDON IN MID-MAY. ON HIS

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