§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps his Department is taking, in conjunction with the Independent Broadcasting Authority and the European Space Agency, to resolve potential problems of signal interference between BSB and the Olympus satellite; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Atkins[holding answer 13 March 1989]: We are currently negotiating with the European Space Agency and other interested parties an arrangement which will ensure that reception of the United Kingdom's fifth direct broadcasting satellite channel will not suffer unacceptable signal interference from the Olympus experimental satellite. This arrangement is based on internationally agreed criteria (as prescribed in the final acts of the world broadcasting satellite administrative radio conference, Geneva, 1977—the 77 plan—and incorporated in appendix 30 of the International Telecommunications Union radio regulations): It also takes account of the possibility that the operator of the fifth United Kingdom DBS channel may wish to operate at only one half of the satellite power prescribed in the 77 plan.