Nothing sinister

YOUR reader Tom Chan (South China Morning Post, January 25), sought an explanation for the brief interruption followed by poor reception of BBC World Service relay via Radio Six on January 17.

He wondered if it had anything to do with the programme being broadcast at the time of the interruption, which was about freedom of the press in Hong Kong as 1997 approaches.

I would like to assure Mr Chan that there was nothing sinister behind the interruption.

Technical problems are to be blamed. There was a short break in the London-Hong Kong satellite circuit.

The normal procedure we follow in such a situation is to quickly activate shortwave reception. Unfortunately the satellite signal turned out to be poor. The programme Mr Chan was listening to at that time and partly missed was in fact re-broadcast twice as part of BBC World Service's normal schedule for that day.

JAGJIT DILLON Head, English Programme Service Radio Television Hong Kong