TNAG-1989-FCO40-2822-Hong-Kong-Telecommunications-(Amendment)-Ordinance-1989-(No.-1989 — Page 103

CHINESE SERVICE PRESCRIPTION REVIEW

AUDIENCE MEASUREMENTS

(a)

China

Survey Results

The only research into audiences for foreign broadcasters in China has been carried out by Hong Kong based agencies. To date the samples are inadequate and the results are somewhat inconsistent and difficult to interpret. Regular audiences for the BBC (in any language) in some major cities seemed to be around 1%.

At the time of the recent clamp-down in China, the BBC was investigating the possibilities of carrying out a sample survey designed by us, and conducted by a China based research agency, to provide data on listening in accordance with our usual methods. Although several organisations expressed a keen interest,

as late

as the end of May, in undertaking research for the BBC, it seems unlikely that a survey can be carried out in a near future.

During the pro-democracy movement, there were clear indications of the growing importance of the BBC broadcasts in China. BBC has evidence from both first-hand impressions and other sources to suggest that the BBC's audience in China has increased. Widespread anecdotal evidence suggests that the increase in listening, particularly among students and the intelligensia, has been especially marked since martial law was imposed 20 May.

(b)

Malaysia

About a third of the population of Malaysia are ethnic Chinese.

Survey Results

A survey covering the adult (15+) population of Peninsular Malaysia was conducted between January and March 1987. In the survey, 35% of the sample could understand at least one Chinese dialect, and 32% spoke Chinese most in the course of their daily life.

The regular weekly audience to the BBC in Mandarin was 0.2% of the sample, and that in Cantonese

0.1%. The 1987 survey did not obtain information about BBC's competitors in Chinese.

Among those respondents in the sample whose main language is Chinese, the regular weekly audience in Mandarin was 0.7%, and in Cantonese 0.4%, with considerable overlap in listening.