NEW DELHI, July 7: Even as other foreign networks wait patiently for the Broadcasting Bill to be passed before finalising their plans for a news network, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) appears intent on getting clearance from the Government to set up an earth station in the country, albeit temporarily.

If clearance is given, it would make the BBC the first and only foreign network to be given uplinking from India, though the issue is yet to be conclusively debated by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Broadcasting Bill.pThe Ministry of External Affairs has forwarded, to the Department of Telecom, a request from the BBC to grant uplinking between August 11 and August 18, asking for a decision ``at the earliest''. The reason: the BBC needs a direct satellite link because they fear that using a microwave link in rainy August -- as they did during the general election last year will affect the quality of their broadcast.

While the BBC's Deputy Chief of Bureau, Satish Jacob, said the network may just have to settle for a microwave link, it appears that efforts are still on to convince the Government. The formal request to the Ministry of External Affairs was sent on June 17 by BBC Television News Assistant Foreign News Editor Jeff Cox.

According to the letter, the BBC intends to build a temporary TV studio in their office at No 1, Rafi Marg, for live coverage, which it promises to share with its domestic radio and TV services.

But the BBC's ``strictly limited and temporary permission'', even for the cause of celebrating 50 years of Indian independence (especially the coverage of the August 14 joint session of Parliament), places the country's policy-makers in a quandary.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.