CONFIDENTIAL
For discussion
on 28th March 1972
XCC ( 72 ) 2 4 99
(7 ) 2 4
Copy No
MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
THE FUTURE OF BROADCASTING
On the 22nd February 1972, after consideration of
memorandum XCC(72)14, Council advised and the Governor ordered:
(a)
that public tenders be invited simultaneously
for a second wireless television licence,
which would provide for both English and
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(h)
Chinese services, and a third wireless tele- vision licence, which would provide for a single Chinese service;
that no date be specified with regard to the commencement of operations by the success- ful tenderers for the second and third wire- less television licences, other of course than the limitation imposed by the lifetime of the present TVB exclusive franchise;
that future licensees be required to make available four hours free air-time a day for the transmission of ETV programmes;
that licensees be required to provide up to seven hours air-time a week for programmes produced by Government as recommended by the working party;
that permitted advertising times be increased from seven minutes to ten minutes in any one hour, subject to the existing overall res- triction of 10% of transmission time in any twenty-four hour period;
that on the expiry of the existing exclusive licence for a wired television service held by Rediffusion (Hong Kong) Limited no further monopoly be permitted in this field;
that the working party's recommendations concerning the composition of a licensee's board of directors and the local ownership of a licensee's shares be approved, subject to examination by the Legal Department with a view to closing any possible loopholes;
that a further, shorter memorandum be prepared by the Colonial Secretariat drawing Council's attention to the principal remaining recommendations made by the working party on which a specific decision is appropriate;
CONFIDENTIAL