TNAG-1989-FCO40-2822-Hong-Kong-Telecommunications-(Amendment)-Ordinance-1989-(No.-1989 — Page 75

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

Sir John Whitehead KCMG CVO

British Embassy

TOKYO

Telephone 01-

Your reference

Our reference

Date

нко 30644

HUD 22

R

Fle

away.

Pls

18/8

SPLAAH

17 August 1989

Mr Skinc

18

8

Dear

Ambarsader,

BBC WORLD SERVICE: REVIEW OF THE FAR EASTERN SERVICE

1.

In Richard Muir's absence on leave, I am writing to you and other Posts involved in our Review of the Far Eastern Service (Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Malay, Thai and Vietnamese services) to let you know the outcome of our meeting with the BBC on 2 August. The assessments which you and other Posts provided were a very important element in the discussion. We were fortunate also to have with us representatives of FED, SEAD, HKD, Planners and Research Department. We are grateful to them, and to Posts, for the thought and effort put into their contributions.

Effectiveness/Contribution to FCO Objectives

2.

The Review showed that the Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian and Vietnamese Services (all medium FCO broadcasting priorities, except Mandarin which is high) continue to make a useful and effective contribution to the achievement of FCO objectives, reaching audiences beyond the scope of normal diplomatic activity.

3. We put down a clear marker that the contribution of the Japanese and Malay Services (low FCO broadcasting priorities), which have small and declining direct audiences, is only marginal and, that, on present evidence, the expenditure on them was difficult to justify. Your judgement that the impact of the Japanese Service was minimal corresponded with the BBC's own major worries that radio listening in general in Japan is in a crisis and listening on SW to foreign broadcasting rare. They also conceded that retaining the service for the existing 0.1% regular audience was not justified. The BBC told us they were carrying out a radical review of the Japanese programme schedule and the means of delivering the service to the audience.

They

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