§ Mr. Churchillasked the Lord Privy Seal what is the best estimate of the number of listeners to the British Broadcasting Corporation external service broadcasts to Poland; whether he has any evidence that these broadcasts are being jammed; and what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to increase, if only on a temporary basis, the number of hours per day of Polish language transmissions.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsThe BBC does not undertake audience research in Poland, but according to a United States study the BBC's regular audience there—ie, those listening at least once a week—was in the region of 6 million adults in 1980. There is no evidence so far that the BBC's broadcasts to Poland are being jammed. As I announced yesterday, the hours of broadcasting in Polish are about to rise from 21¼ to 26¼ hours per week.
§ Mr. Churchillasked the Lord Privy Seal what is the daily average of Polish language broadcasts currently being transmitted by the British Broadcasting Corporation external service; and what, approximately, were the daily averages in 1951, 1961 and 1971, respectively.
§ Mr. Humphrey AtkinsThe BBC is currently broadcasting three hours a day—3¼ hours on Sundays—in Polish, a total of 21¼ hours a week. The equivalent figures for 1951, 1961 and 1971, respectively, were 1½ hours a day—10½ a week—approximately two hours and 20 minutes—16¼ a week—and about three hours and 10 minutes—22¼ a week. As I announced yesterday, the hours of broadcasting are about to rise to 3¾ hours per day—26¼ hours a week.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal if, in view of the present political situation in Spain, it remains his intention to end the BBC external service broadcasts in Spanish to Spain on 31 December.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will give consideration to merging the BBC external service Latin American programmes in Spanish with those to Spain in Spanish to ensure that the latter broadcasts continue after 31 December.
§ Mr. LuceWe have looked into this. A merger would involve considerable technical difficulties. For example, transmissions would have to beamed in different 419W directions, at some extra cost. Moreover, there are different time zones, differing interests between Spanish and Latin American audiences and differences of accent and even vocabulary.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he will make it his policy not to relinquish the right to the use of the wavelength at present used for external service broadcasts to Spain in Spanish.
§ Mr. LuceWe hope that the BBC will retain the most useful of the frequencies formerly used by the services which are being discontinued and use these as necessary for other services.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal how many representations he has received concerning the closure of the BBC Spanish service to Spain; and from whom.
§ Mr. LuceOf the separate representations received since our plans for the BBC external service were first announced in the House in June, roughly 50 were primarily concerned with the Spanish service to Spain. It would require a disproportionate amount of time to list each individual correspondent.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal whether he is satisfied that the BBC external service topical tape service will continue to be re-broadcast in Spain following the ending of direct broadcasting in Spanish; and upon what factors he bases his assessment.
§ Mr. LuceThe BBC seeks to distribute its topical tapes abroad wherever there is a demand for them. What is now being proposed for Spain—and also for Italy—is a completely new recorded service to provide material of more general interest for re-broadcasting by local radio stations. This assessment of requirements is based on a proposal from the BBC.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Lord Privy Seal on what evidence Her Majesty's Government based the judgment referred to by his noble Friend the Lord Trefgarne that a petition from journalists in Spain for the retention of BBC external service broadcasts in Spanish to that country might not have been entirely spontaneous, House of Lords Official Report, 26 November, column 914.
§ Mr. LuceIt is well known that the BBC's supporters conducted a vigorous campaign both at home and overseas against some of our proposals for the BBC external service.