Written evidence from Patrick Xavier
I attended the meeting in the House's Grand Committee
Room last night, hosted by Views of the Listener and Viewer (VLV)
with guest speaker Jeremy Hunt MP, Minister for Culture, Media
and Sport.
My concern is threefold:
(1) The Burmese Service. (My late parents grew
up there and stayed until the Japanese invasion in 1942 forced
them to walk out over the Himalayas.) That country is going through
a series of trials which could be more bearable with accurate
information/news from overseas.
(2) I find it galling that three Balkan languages
are to be deleted from the Service! That part of Europe, though
quieter than heretofore, still is not at peace with itself.
(3) Most importantly, I think that the Shortwave
Service to the USA should be restarted, having ceased—with,
I feel, spectacularly bad timing—in 2001. Granted that some
big cities have BBC FM, and that ownership of a computer and internet
access will allow access to BBCi etc, but that ownership isn't
always affordable and can (perish the thought!) be cut off either
locally or by a satellite problem. I can't think that it would
be jammed, except by another power not wishing its own citizens
access. Voice of America for Europe is by the way transmitted
from, I believe, Lithuania. The Rt Hon William Hague, Foreign
Secretary, might be glad of a further media outlet in the USA
in view of his timely stand on the Israel/Palestine issue consequent
upon the Egyptian political drama unfolding on our TV screens.
9 February 2011
|
