HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-11 May 1988
1395
The need for television stations to provide balanced programming is well recognised by the Broadcasting Authority.
At present, the four television stations broadcast a total of 77 hours of children and youth programmes each week: this represents between 13 per cent and 20 per cent of the total broadcast time on each channel. In addition, four hours of educational television are broadcast per day, Mondays to Fridays, while schools are in session. Members will be glad to know that the new licence conditions for the television stations now being drafted, will make clear their responsibility to provide a proper balance of information, education and entertainment programmes with due impartiality and accuracy and to avoid offence to good taste and decency. It is expected that when cable television is introduced, provision will be made for more specialised programmes for youth and children.
Mrs. Selina CHOW mentioned the confusion of social values among young people. She attributed this partly to the influence of unreal characterisation on television. Guidelines are set out by Government on what is considered suitable for broadcast and programmers are asked to exercise vigilance, especially during family viewing hours.
The years between innocence and experience are character forming. While we would wish to impart ideals of what the world should be, our children should also know what the real world is like.
Mr. CHAN Ying-lun referred to the harm caused to young minds by violent and sexually explicit comic books and video tapes. I can assure Mr. CHAN that Government is determined to take action against vendors of such material. We shall continue to refer offensive material to the Obscene Articles Tribunal which was established in September last year. We shall also be appealing to district boards, school authorities and outreach social workers for assistance.
Sir, I support the motion.
SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION: Sir, many Members have spoken today on the subject of youth and the problems faced by our young people. I am very grateful to them for their interest in the matter and for the useful comments they make. My official colleagues have already responded to some of the specific points raised and I shall not therefore repeat them.
In Hong Kong, we have often said that our greatest asset is our people. Young people within the age group of 10 to 25 account for more than one quarter of this most valuable asset, and constitute about 23 per cent of our work force. The Government is fully aware of the profound importance of youth to the overall development of our society and recognises that youth deserves special care and attention. It is imperative that our young people should be properly groomed and equipped for the tasks and role they will have to face. when they grow up. Some people tend to see youth as a problem, and consider it to have destructive potentials if not guided properly. However, our youth