WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
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BAN ON ADVERTISING BY FISCAL MEASURES PROPOSED
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TOBACCO AND CIGARETTE ADVERTISING SHOULD BE BANNED BY FISCAL MEASURES INSTEAD OF FORCED PROHIBITION. THE HON S. L. CHEN SUGGESTED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT, MR CHEN SAID HE DID NOT AGREE WITH THE REPORT'S RECOMMENDATION THAT TOBACCO AND CIGARETTE ADVERTISING IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA SHOULD BE TOTALLY BANNED.
+ IF A HEALTH HAZARD IS THE SOLE REASON FOR BANNING ADVERTISING IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT BANNING SHOULD BE TOTAL. IN OTHER WORD,
IN OTHER WORD, THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA SHOULD NOT BE SINGLED OUT FOR THIS PURPOSE OTHER FORMS OF MEDIA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AT THE SAME TIME,+ HE SAID.
IN SUPPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-SMOKING POLICY, MR CHEN PROPOSED A MIDDLE COURSE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM - THAT ALL TOBACCO AND CIGARETTE ADVERTISING SHOULD BE BANNED BY FISCAL MEASURES, SUCH AS THE IMPOSITION OF A TAX ON ADVERTISING.
HE SAID THE TAX SHOULD BE INCREASED PROGRESSIVELY FROM YEAR TO YEAR, SO THAT THE COST OF ADVERTISING WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME SO PROHIBITIVE AS TO DISCOURAGE ADVERTISING ALTOGETHER.
MR CHEN BELIEVED THERE WAS A NEED TO REVIEW THE EXISTING CONTROL AND MONITORING FUNCTIONS OF ADVERTISING IN THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
HE SAID UNDER THE PRESENT REGULATION ONLY A CERTAIN PORTION OF BROADCASTING TIME WAS PERMITTED TO BE USED FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES.
+AS A RESULT, THE BROADCASTER MAY LENGTHEN THE BROADCASTING TIME QUITE UNNECESSARILY SIMPLY AS A MEANS TO GAIN THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE ADVERTISING TIME, HE EXPLAINED.
HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS WOULD RESULT IN MOST OF THE ADVERTISING TIME BEING CRAMPED INTO THE SO-CALLED PRIME TIME WITH THE RESULT THAT ADVERTISEMENTS OCCUPIED A LARGE PROPORTION OF THIS TIME.
+I THEREFORE SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE EXISTING REGULATIONS TO STIPULATE CLEARLY THE PERMISSIBLE ADVERTISING TIME, HE SAID.
ON THE QUESTION OF AN INDEPENDENT PUBLIC BROADCASTER, MR CHEN SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT A TOTALLY INDEPENDENT ORGANISATION WOULD BE A FINANCIALLY VIABLE PROPOSITION IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
/+GOVERNMENT SHOULD
+
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