CONFIDENTIAL
To David Stirling.
AIDE
MEMOIRE
54/21:
In April of this year, the Government without
affording our Company, TVB, the sole licencee at this moment,
any opportunity to consult or make suggestions, announced that
it was the intention of Government to grant licences for two
new stations. The granting of one further licence had always
been envisaged from the time that TVB was awarded its licence
in 1966 but the creation of a third commercial station seems
to us and to anyone who knows anything about television to be
absolute folly. It could only result in an immediate
deterioration of standards by all stations. This proposal was, of course, put forward "in the interest of the viewing
public". Government then went on to say that TVB would shortly be offered the renewal of licence for a further period which normally should have been done some months ago. Such renewal
was to be subject to amendments to meet proposed changes in the Television Ordinance and subsidiary legislation. When I was
in London, a short amendment was rushed through to cover Govern-
ment's failure to renew our licence in time. This lapse may have been due to neglect or by design.
There was a period of
five years to think about it! The intention of Government was
to compel TVB to share its transmitter facilities and sites with
the future licencees. These facilities have been developed and
are owned by our Company.
Further it was the desire of Government to force TVB
off some of its frequencies in Band IV and to give them to a
future licencee. It became clear to us that Government would
make these steps as conditions to renew our licence. My entire Board were appalled by these proposals which our professional advisers in London have described as high handed action and