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TERMS REASONABLE TO BOTH PARTIES.
A DRAFT NEGOTIATING BRIEF WILL SHORTLY BE PUT TO EXCO ON THESE LINES.
3. AS NEGOTIATIONS WITH HONG KONG TELECOM WILL BE DIFFICULT WE WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD AVOID DIVULGING OUR POSITION TO LORD YOUNG AT THIS STAGE.
4.
POLICY ON SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION IS ALSO UNDER REVIEW. THE REVIEW WAS BEGUN IN EARLY 1991 FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF HONG KONG CABLE COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED (HKCC). IT HAS REACHED AN ADVANCED STAGE AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. PROPOSALS FOR THE PROVISION OF NEW TELEVISION SERVICES ON A SUBSCRIPTION BASIS WILL BE INVITED THEREAFTER. OUR CURRENT INCLINATION IS NOT TO REQUIRE THAT A PARTICULAR TECHNOLOGY BE USED FOR THE DELIVERY OF THE SERVICES. CABLE OR MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY OR A COMBINATION THEREOF COULD BE USED. WE ARE ALSO INCLINED TO DROP THE PREVIOUS LINKAGE BETWEEN SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION AND THE SECOND LOCAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, WHEREBY IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE WINNER OF THE CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE, HKCC, ALSO AIMED EVENTUALLY TO BE PERMITTED TO INSTALL AND OPERATE THE SECOND TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK. WHILE SOME POTENTIAL SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION OPERATORS MAY WISH TO DO BOTH, OTHERS MAY NOT. WE CONSIDER WE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO CONSIDER BOTH TYPES OF PROPOSAL.
5.
HUTCHVISION WERE GRANTED IN DECEMBER 1990 A LICENCE TO UPLINK SATELLITE TELEVISION FROM HONG KONG. THEY HAVE BEEN FUNNING A PREVIEW CHANNEL SINCE MAY, THEIR FIRST FULL CHANNEL (SPORTS) SINCE AUGUST, AND THEIR SECOND (MUSIC) SINCE 14 SEPTEMBER. THEY HAVE RECENTLY APPLIED FOR AND OBTAINED THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY'S APPROVAL TO UPLINK THE BBC WORLD SERVICE TV IN MID-NOVEMBER 1991. THEIR PROPOSAL TO BROADCAST BBC WORLD SERVICE RADIO THROUGH THEIR TRANSPONDERS ON ASIASAT I WILL BE SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION BY EXCO IN EARLY OCTOBER 1991. MEANWHILE, THEY HAVE ALSO APPLIED FOR A REVIEW OF THE RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON THEIR LICENCE WITH REGARD TO CANTONESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING AND SUBSCRIPTION. WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO LOOK AT THIS AS PART OF THE CURRENT SUBSCRIPTION TV REVIEW.
WILSON
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