APPENDIX 19
Supplementary Memorandum submitted by
the BBC World Service
THE CENTRAL ASIA UNIT OF BBC WORLD SERVICE
MONITORING
The Central Asia Unit of BBC World Service Monitoring
was set up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1994 to improve coverage
of the five former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The unit covers both
the media of the countries and external sources, notably a service
of Iranian radio broadcasting to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, which
has good access to factions not normally publicised by the media
of those countries. In April 1998, the unit assumed responsibility
for Afghanistan, and it monitors Taleban and opposition radio
broadcasts.
The unit has a local monitoring staff of 19,
who translate from all the languages of the region: Russian, Kazakh,
Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek, Persian, Dari and Pashto. They
are supported by three English-speaking editors, who edit their
copy, give guidance on selection and processing and provide ongoing
training to improve their knowledge of English and awareness of
customer requirements. There are also 10 support staff.
The unit covers the traditional range of sources:
press, news agencies, TV and radio. Subject to improvements in
communications, it plans to develop Internet monitoring. By country,
the unit covers:
— Afghanistan: 2 Taleban radios—from
Kabul and the northern provincial centre of Mazar-e Sharif, 1
anti-Taleban radio from northeastern Takhar Province
— Iran: radio from Mashhad in Persian,
Pashto, Dari and Uzbek for Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan;
radio from Gorgan in Turkmen for Turkmenistan
— Kazakhstan: 2 national TVs, 1 national
radio, 1 agency, major national press
— Kyrgyzstan: 1 national TV (audio
only, by remote receiver), 1 national radio, 1 agency, major national
press, regional press from Osh Region, bordering on Uzbekistan
— Tajikistan: 1 national TV (by remote
receiver), 2 national radios, 2 agencies (1 state-run, 1 private),
major press from the capital, Dushanbe, and the northern regional
centre of Khujand
— Turkmenistan: 1 national TV (by remote
receiver), 1 national radio, 1 agency, major national press
— Uzbekistan: 3 national TVs, 2 national
radios, major national press, regional press from the sensitive
eastern Fergana Valley region.
In addition to transcripts (approximately 30
per day), the unit produces a weekly summary of events in each
of the countries covered. All material is sent to Monitoring headquarters
at Caversham Park, where it is made available to customers in
the wider BBC and in the UK and US governments. The unit also
provides its output directly to local consumers—the BBC
World Service office and the UK and US embassies in Tashkent.
The unit also prepares a weekly video compilation
tape, which is provided via Caversham to the Ministry of Defence,
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other customers. It has
also made a start on providing audio actuality, a service which
it is hoped will grow as telecommunications connections improve.
Later this year, technical surveys are planned
which it is hoped will enable the unit to develop coverage of
the western Chinese province of Xinjiang and to improve audibility
of sources in Afghanistan.
June 1999
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