MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1983
HONG KONG TV SERVICES AMONG BEST IN WORLD: BRAY
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HONG KONG HAS ONE OF THE BEST TELEVISION SERVICES IN THE WORLD THANKS TO SOME BASIC POLICY DECISIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT BACK IN THE LATE 1960'S, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY, SAID THIS (MONDAY) EVENING.
IN A SPEECH TO THE NEW TERRITORIES ROTARY CLUB, MR BRAY SAID THAT AT THE START OF THE TV AGE, THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED AGAINST SETTING UP A PUBLIC TELEVISION BROADCASTING COMPANY, MAINLY BECAUSE IT FELT PRIVATE ENTERPRISE WAS BETTER ABLE TO DEVELOP A MEDIUM WHOSE PRIMARY AIM, AFTER ALL, WAS ENTERTAINMENT.
+IT DECIDED THERE SHOULD BE COMPETITION; AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE STATIONS SHOULD BE LICENSED AT ANY ONE TIME. AND IT DECIDED THAT WHERE GOVERNMENT HAD A MESSAGE TO PUT ACROSS, THEN AIRTIME SHOULD BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE ON THE COMMERCIAL CHANNELS, MR BRAY SAID,
HE SAID THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY HAD HAD ITS UPS AND DOWNS SINCE THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE, BUT BY AND LARGE HONG KONG HAD ONE OF THE BEST TELEVISION SERVICES IN THE WORLD.
+WE HAVE A CHOICE OF CHANNELS IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH, AND ON THE CHINESE CHANNELS MUCH OF THE MATERIAL IS LOCALLY-PRODUCĒD. HONG KONG IS THE WORLD CENTRE FOR CANTONESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES, WHICH ARE IN GREAT DEMAND BY OVERSEAS CHINESE COMMUNITIES ELSEWHERE.
+PRODUCTION STANDARDS ARE VERY HIGH INDEED; THE STATIONS TRAIN UP THEIR OWN ARTISTS AND TECHNICAL PERSONNEL, PROVIDING CREATIVE CAREERS FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE.+
MR BRAY SAID THE TELEVISION SECTION OF RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG ALSO PRODUCED MANY AND VARIOUS PROGRAMMES FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND SURVEYS HAD SHOWN THAT THESE PROGRAMMES WERE HELD IN HIGH REGARD BY THE PUBLIC.
+THE DIET OF PROGRAMMES ON OUR TELEVISION SCREENS IS A GREAT DEAL RICHER FOR THE WORK OF RTHK, HE SAID.
MR BRAY ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING, MR NIGEL WATT, WHO HAS BEEN IN THE POST FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS AND IS TO RETIRE NEXT WEEK.
+NIGEL HAS STEERED THE DEVELOPMENT OF TELEVISION FROM ITS BEGINNING UNTIL NOW, THROUGH THE ROCKS OF STATUTORY CONTROLS AND THE SHOALS OF PUBLIC OPINION, AND DO NOT THINK THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE INDUSTRY WOULD HAVE REMAINED SO CORDIAL HAD HE NOT BEEN THERE TO ACT AS MIDDLEMAN AND ADVISER, HE SAID.
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