MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
P.a. Media
MWB Sov
FISTRY
REC.
15 JAN 1992
Margasan
Withi
From CO Hum
Date:
13 Januar
れる
CC:
Mr Davies, FED Mr Ricketts, HKD
Mr Davies, Information Department
BBC WORLD SERVICE TRIENNIUM 1994-97: PROGRAMME PLAN
1. Thank you for your minute of 29 December 1992 on the BBC World Service's draft Programme Plan for the next Triennium. I have discussed this with my Departments (principally FED but also HKD), and this minute sets out our combined views.
2.
We were not impressed by the BBC document. It sets out its philosophy in unconvincing and unexplained media jargon. The political judgements about East Asia are frankly jejune. For an organisation placing emphasis on "increased marketing" it is ironic that the BBC's internal presentation of their case for increased funding should be so inadequate.
Mandarin and Cantonese
3. The section on services in Mandarin and Cantonese strikes us as vague and unfocussed. No clear statement is made about the evolution of the area and the relevance of BBC broadcasting to this process. What role do the BBC seek to play in the process of reform and opening up in China? What are the implications of the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997? What are the BBC's intentions for Taiwan (which receives no more than a passing reference in the text)? The document does not give us proper answers to any of these questions.
4. Nonetheless the case for China is strong, even if the BBC develop it inadequately. We believe that the impact of the World Service in China is an enormous plus for our overall interests, though inevitably very hard to quantify. It is right that China should be a priority in the next Triennium - a world power, a vast audience, a rapidly developing economy, an important market but a society where information continues to be controlled and manipulated. There are good arguments for the BBC to set up a production centre in Peking and to increase transmission time in Mandarin. I remain to be convinced however that the additional cost of £250,000 would be better spent on increasing transmission time in Mandarin
MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
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