SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 1982
THERE IS THEREFORE A HEAVY ONUS ON THE STATIONS TO MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST STANDARDS WHICH THAT RESPONSIBILITY PLACES ON THEM,
IT SAYS.
THE BOARD'S GENERAL VIEW IS THAT PROGRAMME STANDARDS ARE IMPROVING, BUT IT EMPHASISES THAT BOTH THE BOARD AND THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY CONTINUE TO PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO THE THEMES OF THE TELEVISION DRAMAS WHICH HAVE NOW PROVED SO POPULAR.
THE REPORT NOTES THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CONTINUE TO EXPRESS CONCERN FROM TIME TO TIME ABOUT TELEVISION STANDARDS AND IN PARTICULAR THE POTENTIAL LINK BETWEEN PROGRAMME CONTENT AND JUVENILE CRIME.
IT SAYS THAT IN A SURVEY OF CHINESE VIEWERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS TELEVISION, COMMISSIONED BY THE AUTHORITY IN JANUARY 1980, THOSE SURVEYED FOUND THE QUALITY OF LOCALLY PRODUCED PROGRAMMES OF HIGH CALIBRE.
THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWED THAT MOST VIEWERS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE CURRENT CONTROL BOTH OF PROGRAMME CONTENT AND TELEVISION ADVERTISING STANDARDS.
REFERRING TO STEPS TAKEN TO ENCOURAGE THE LICENCEES TO EXERT MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN PROGRAMMES AND TO IMPROVE THE IR PROGRAMME SCHEDULING POLICY, THE REPORT NOTES THAT THE REQUIREMENTS LAID UPON THE STATIONS IN THESE TWO AREAS HAD BEEN LARGELY MET.
BOTH STATIONS, IT SAYS, HAVE INTRODUCED INTERNAL MONITORING PREVIEW SYSTEMS TO PREVENT CONTRAVENTIONS OF THE CODES OF PRACTICE.
IN ADDITION, GUIDELINES HAD BEEN DISTRIBUTED BY EACH STATION TO THE IR PRODUCTION STAFF RESTATING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TERMS OF THEIR LICENCES AND THE CODES OF PRACTICE.
ALTHOUGH THE AUTHORITY WAS ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS REQUIRED TO DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THE STATIONS TO BREACHES OF PROGRAMME STANDARDS DURING THE PERIOD, IN GENERAL THEIR OVERALL PERFORMANCE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE SATISFACTORY.
IN PARTICULAR THE LICENCEES OBSERVED THE FAMILY VIEWING RE- QUIREMENTS WHICH PROHIBIT THE SHOWING OF PROGRAMMES POSITIVELY UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 4 PM AND 8.30 PM.
MOREOVER, BOTH STATIONS MET THE NEW PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER, BROADCASTING MORE EDUCATIONAL AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAMMES, AS WELL AS A GREATER NUMBER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES WHICH THEY PRODUCED.
THE BOARD EXPRESSES UNEASE, HOWEVER, ABOUT THE SCHEDULING OF MOST GOVERNMENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES AT WEEKENDS, RESULTING LARGELY FROM THE STATIONS' PRACTICE OF BROADCASTING SERIAL DRAMAS BETWEEN 7.30 PM AND 9.30 PM.
THE BOARD