TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 33

CODE 18-77

Mr Rawlinson

SAD

37

Reference.

Whiz 34/h

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4/APR 1991

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BBC WORLD SERVICE:

GULF CRISIS

ADDITIONAL BROADCASTING DURING THE

1. You will be aware that, with our agreement, the BBC World Service increased the number of hours of broadcasting in English and some other languages during the Gulf crisis. Most of these increased activities have been stopped or reduced with a view to early cessation.

2. During the crisis, Tamil broadcasts have increased by 15 minutes a week to provide a Sunday transmission, Persian broadcasts were increased by 15 minutes a day to provide an additional daily transmission at 1015 GMT and Nepali broadcasts were increased by 20 minutes a week to provide a Sunday transmission.

3.

I attach an extract from a recent letter from the BBC proposing the ending of the extra Tamil transmission (effective Sunday 24 March), the ending of the extra Persian transmission

(effective Friday 12 April) and the continuation of the extra Nepali transmission on a permanent basis at the expense of the BBC (relying heavily on extra income from BFBS Hong Kong). I should be grateful for your agreement to the BBC's proposals, in-so-far as they affect you, and for the agreement of

Mr Symons (also for Tamil), Mr Sherrington (for Persian) and Mr Stone (for Nepali in Hong Kong), to whom I am copying this minute.

28 March 1991

CC:

Mr Symons, SAD

Mr Sherrington, MED Mr Stone, HKD

M L Dalton

Information Department

OAB G/106

210-6112