TNAG-2766-FCO40-3983-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 133

Separate copies to:

FROM:

RH G Davies

Information Department

DATE:

29 December 1992

Heads of:

FED

SEAD

SAD

MED

CED

*

SED

EAU

NENAD

AD(E)

AD(S)

LAD

WED

NAD

WIAD

SPD

Eastern Department

Mr Hum

Mr Masefield

Mr Gore-Booth

Mr Logan

Mr Greenstock

Mr Goodenough

Mr Beamish

Mr Muir

(w/o encs)

Mr Alston (w/o encs)

Mr Clarke, Planners (w/o encs)

م

BBC WORLD SERVICE TRIENNIUM 1994-1997:

1.

PROGRAMME PLAN

The BBC World Service have recently given us copies of their draft Programme Plan for the next Triennium funding period, negotiations on which will start in February. This is an ambitious document, both in terms of the number of new language services they would like to introduce, and of increased broadcasting hours and other activities in virtually all the existing services.

2.

I attach a breakdown of the Programme Plan, indicating against each language service the responsible geographical department, together with the relevant extracts from the Plan. Copies of the introduction are also included in each case. This document will form a significant part of the World Service's 'Blue Book', their Triennium bid, which will be submitted to the BBC Board of Governors in January, and subsequently in final form to the Secretary of State. At that point the negotiations proper begin.

3. Taken together, the additional cost of introducing the whole Programme Plan as currently drafted would be in the region of £20m in the first year of the next Triennium, or an increase of 15% on the Grant-in-Aid for current expenditure on broadcasting in 1993-94. This is unrealistic, and would be even if the present outlook for public expenditure were not so grim. The BBC themselves recognise that their document is a wish list that will have to be measured against foreign policy priorities, the FCO's objectives and budgetary constraints.