Broadcasting (Frequencies) (Hansard, 15 January 1976)

§ Mr. Roy Jenkins

The International Telecommunication Union invited all member countries in Africa, Asia, Australasia and Europe to participate in the Regional Administrative LF/MF Broadcasting Conference in Geneva last autumn with a view to establishing a new agreement and plan of frequency usage to replace as appropriate existing agreements and plans. The use, in Europe and those African and Asian countries bordering on the Mediterranean, of the low and medium frequency broadcasting bands is at present conditioned by the European Broadcasting Convention and the annexed Copenhagen Plan, negotiated in Copenhagen in 1948, since when the pattern of frequency usage has changed radically. Delegations from 103 countries took part in the Conference. The United Kingdom delegation included representatives of the British Broadcasting Corporation and the190W Independent Broadcasting Authority as well as officials of my Department.

The Conference produced an Agreement and Plan which was signed by all but three of the delegations who had participated in the Conference. Other member countries may accede later.

The new Agreement and Plan takes into account the technical criteria which had been established at the first session of the Conference. One of these, which was confirmed by the Agreement, was that a uniform channel spacing of 9 kilohertz should be adopted. This simplifies the co-ordination of frequency usage between regions and will, in the longer term, have advantages for receiver manufacture. The Plan also provides for three channels—instead of two in Europe and Africa—to be set aside for low-power transmitters only, thus facilitating the extension of local radio.

Because of the number and power of assignments required the Plan does not in general satisfy the minimum desirable levels as regards interference established by the first session of the Conference; but it should stabilise the position and prevent further deterioration.

The Plan is due to come into effect on 23rd November 1978, and is intended to meet requirements for at least the following 10 years. The agreement provides for additional stations to be added to the Plan in accordance with specified co-ordination procedures.

With regard to the United Kingdom's requirements for its domestic and External Services, my Department undertook detailed consultation with those Government Departments which have interests in the use of low and medium frequency bands at home or overseas; with the Isle of Man Government; with the Channel Island Authorities; and, of course, with the BBC and IBA. The United Kingdom's requirements, in accord with the general line agreed with our partners in the Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications Administrations, were put in on the basis of present frequency usage.

In the new Plan we have secured a counterpart for each of the assignments used at present in the United Kingdom's domestic services, and for assignments on a further low frequency and three further medium frequencies. Provision 191W for the use of frequencies for the broadcasting stations overseas for which the United Kingdom has responsibilities has also been retained.

As to the effect on individual services of foreign stations assigned to the same frequency, whilst the likely total effect of the other existing or planned future assignments can be assessed, the actual impact will depend on if, when, and at what power projected stations are in fact brought into service. Night-time reception on medium frequencies is already far from good and it is recognised that because of increased interference at night it may be necessary to take further action to protect the use of some frequencies.

A frequency which gives us particular cause for concern is 647 kilohertz, on which Radio 3 is at present broadcast. The United Kingdom has reserved the right to take steps to increase its transmission power on this assignment if a projected Albanian station is brought into use; and also on 1089 kilohertz if the power of the Albanian transmitters on that frequency is increased. Any decision on this matter will depend on the review of the use of frequencies as a whole en-entrusted to the Annan Committee.

The External Services, though mainly on short waves, make some use of medium waves. The number of frequencies available to the United Kingdom for this purpose remains unchanged under the Plan. Some increases in transmission powers were, however, negotiated, together with an additional medium power transmitter to provide service from Gibraltar. The requirements for those territories overseas represented by the United Kingdom at the Conference—Ascension, Brunei, Diego Garcia, Gibraltar, Gilbert Islands, Hong Kong, St. Helena, Seychelles, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu—were satisfactorily met. In addition satisfactory provision was made for British Forces broadcasting.

With regard to the requirements of the Isle of Man, it has been possible to negotiate the use of a frequency which should avoid the present need to use a frequency for day-time operation only. Assignments for two low-power transmitters for the Channel Islands were also negotiated and included in the Plan.

192W

I consider that the Agreement and Plan provides an acceptable basis for maintaining the pattern of our broadcasting services.

The outcome of this conference is clearly relevant to the deliberations of the Annan Committee. It is for the Committee to consider the use in the United Kingdom of the frequency resources we have been successful in obtaining and a report of the Conference will be sent to it. I understand that the BBC is already preparing proposals for consideration by the Annan Committee.

Printed copies of the Final Acts of the Regional Administrative LF/MF Broadcasting Conference (Regions 1 and 3) Geneva 1975 have not yet been distributed by the International Telecommunication Union, but I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library as soon as practicable.