B.B. C. radio service

Press, 29 October 1981, Page 6

B.B. C. radio service

NZPA staff correspondent London

The 8.8. C. is unable to say yet which programmes in its world-wide transcription service will still be available to New Zealand, as a result of the British Government's reprieve. It bowed to pressure from a lot of Conservative members of Parliament by backing down on its proposals to end some language services and cut the transcription service, which supplies programmes such as “The Archers” and “I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again,”' to New Zealand, among other countries.

“Halving the output does not necessarily mean halving the basic cost’ of running the service," said a 8.8. C. spokesman yesterday. “So it may prove difficult to make the cuts required.

“It is difficult to halve costs when studios and equipment still have to be maintained. We are going to have to explain the implications of the figure chosen to the Foreign Office, and only then will we know exactly what we are expected to save."

One of the bones of contention between the 8.8. C. and the Government about the transcription services in the past has been the question of cost.

The Government has said the 8.8. C. should raise the cost of transcription services to the “market price." while the 8.8. C. has pointed out that, since it is the only broadcasting service in the world to change for such services, it constitutes the “market" within itself. The 8.8. C. has, in fact, raised its charges over the last two years.