CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 1013
OF 230335Z JUNE 93
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 031/15
2. AUG 1993
SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION COPYRIGHT PROTECTION.
jill x3381
000427
MDLIAN 0773
ΤΟ TOP COPY Q DIST?
1.
WE LAST WROTE TO YOU ON 26 MARCH 1992 IN RESPONSE TO YOUR TELNO 246 OF 18 FEBRUARY 1992. YOU HAD PREVIOUSLY AGREED TO EXTEND THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE CABLE AND BROADCASTING ACT 1984 TO HONG KONG THROUGH AN ORDER IN COUNCIL IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG CABLE COMMUNICATIONS LTD (HKCC).
2.
YOU MAYBE AWARE THAT HKCC, THE COMPANY SELECTED IN JULY 1989 TO CONSTRUCT A CABLE NETWORK TO PROVIDE CABLE TELEVISION AND NON- FRANCHISED TELECOMMUNICTIONS SERVICES, WITHDREW FROM THE PROJECT
IN NOVEMBER 1990.
3. FOLLOWING THE DEMISE OF HKCC, HKG CONDUCTED AN OVERALL REVIEW OF THE LOCAL TELEVISION INDUSTRY AND DECIDED ON THE LICENSING FRAMEWORK FOR INVITING PROPOSALS IN JULY 1992 TO OPERATE SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION SERVICES IN HONG KONG. A TECHNOLOGICALLY NEUTRAL APPROACH FOR SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION WAS ADOPTED AS IT WAS CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE TO RESTRICT THE EVENTUAL DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY FOR SUCH SERVICES.
4.
A PROPOSAL FROM WHARF CABLE LTD. (WCL) WAS RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS ON 30 SEPTEMBER 1992. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO COMPETING BID, HKG ASSESSED THE PROPOSAL IN DETAIL AND CONCLUDED THAT WCL'S BUSINESS PLAN WAS GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE. WITH A TARGET OF FORMAL SERVICES LAUNCH BY OCTOBER 1993, WCL PROPOSED A TWO PHASE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS NETWORK A MICROWAVE NETWORK IN PHASE 1, TO BE LINKED UP BY OPTICAL FIBRES IN PHASE 2 (BEGINNING IN THE THIRD YEAR).
5. THE TELEVISION CAMENDMENT) BILL 1993, WHICH PROVIDED FOR, INTER ALIA, A LICENSING FRAMEWORK FOR SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION, WAS ENACTED ON 31 MARCH 1993. THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP ANNOUNCED ON 20 MAY 1993 THEIR ENDORSEMENT OF THE LICENCE. THE LICENCE WAS FORMALLY AWARDED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO WHARF CABLE ON 25 MAY 1993. THE TWELVE-YEAR LICENCE TOOK EFFECT ON 1 JUNE 1993. FORMAL LAUNCH OF SERVICE IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 1993.
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