13.
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(b)
(c)
The Government's alleged policy, reflecting
the public interest, that TVB should be
faced with effective competition as soon as
possible after the expiry of its monopoly
period of five years, would be completely
frustrated.
Rediffusion, which pioneered television in
Hong Kong and which has already suffered
very severe damage as a result of the
virtual cancellation, by unilateral
Government action, of its licensed right
to relay, will either incur very heavy
cash losses or have to cease operating on
30th April, 1973; thereupon the public
of Hong Kong would be deprived of the only
alternative source of television entertainment
and hundreds of employees, including an
irreplaceable team of highly trained professional
broadcasters, would be put out of work.
It is submitted that this inequitable and undesirable
situation will only be avoided if:-
(a) The Hong Kong Government really acts with a
sense of urgency in relation to the establishment
of a second television broadcasting station,
reverting to the original timetable.
(b)
In the present quite untimely absence of the
Government Controller of Telecommunications
on five months leave, the services of a
competent adviser (e.g. from the ITA) are
procured as a matter of special urgency
(weeks not months) to resolve such problems
as may really exist in relation to frequencies,
transmitter masts, etc.
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