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they would otherwise incur heavy cash losses (they are already
in a difficult financial position) or might have to cease
operating on the expiry of their current licence in April 1973.
However, they were unofficially given to understand in Hong Kong
that they were strongly favoured as operators of the second
wireless television service and were told by the Colonial
Secretariat that tenders for the new services would be put out
in September. This would have meant an on-air date of mid 1973.
RTV (HK) accepted that the decision to call for tenders could not
be reversed, and felt they were in a strong position to tender
successfully. They therefore placed orders for a considerable
amount of new equipment.
3.
Rediffusion again made representations this time to
Mr Royle personally in July this year in view of further delays
in the Hong Kong Government's timetable which meant that the call
for tenders would not be made until the end of the year.
Rediffusion's case in essence was that the further delay, which
would entail an on-air date at the earliest of early or mid-1974,
would cost them at least £100,000 and much more if the proceedings
were further protracted. A copy of Rediffusion's memorandum
is attached at Annex A.
The Colonial Secretariat saw fit to
reply direct to RTV (HK); a copy of their reply is also attached
at Annex B.
4. Part of the reason for the further delay was that the
Government's proposals envisaged the sharing of transmission sites
in future; TVB(HK) Rediffusion's main competitor
-
opposed to these proposals.
were strongly
Rediffusion on the other hand
/favoured them
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