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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
TURNING TO THE QUESTION OF THE NEED FOR A PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE, MR CHEONG NOTED THERE HAD BEEN CONCERN OVER THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMES SCREENED BY THE TWO COMMERCIAL STATIONS AND HE AGREED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO ENSURE A PROPER BALANCE OF PROGRAMMES.
HE ALSO SUPPORTED IN PRINCIPLE THE VIEW THAT THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER BE GIVEN AUTONOMOUS EDITORIAL CONTROL.
+YET I AM OF THE OPINION THAT THE PROBLEMS AND THE DETAILS OF HOW THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE WOULD BE MANAGED, CONTROLLED AND FINANCED SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY PROFESSIONALS IN THE TRADE RATHER THAN IMPOSED UPON BY NON-PRACTITIONERS,+ HE SAID.
MR CHEONG SAID THAT AFTER SEEKING ADVICE FROM SOME PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY, HIS INITIAL CONCLUSION WAS THAT THE PARTICULAR ARRANGEMENT RECOMMENDED BY THE BOARD MIGHT NOT BE PRACTICAL TO ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER ITSELF.
HE FELT THAT THE ARRANGEMENT MIGHT HAVE THEORETICAL MERITS
HE CALLED ON THE YET FALL SHORT IN PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS. ADMINISTRATION TO WORK OUT OTHER FORMULAE TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVE.
+ IN WORKING OUT POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE FORMULAE, IT IS MY EARNEST HOPE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD APPROACH THE PROBLEMS PRINCIPALLY FROM A PRAGMATIC ANGLE, TAKING INTO FULL ACCOUNT ALL THE OPERATIONAL DIFFICULTIES AS WELL AS THE QUESTION OF THE CONTINUED VIABILITY OF THE FUTURE TELEVISION INDUSTRY, HE STRESSED.
MR CHEONG THEN DISCUSSED THE PROPOSED BANNING OF TOBACCO ADVERTISING ON TELEVISION,
+ IT IS MY CONSIDERED VIEW THAT SUCH A STEP IS FAR TOO DRASTIC AND THE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE DRASTIC STEP HAVE NOT BEEN CLEARLY ESTABLISHED, HE SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT SURVEYS TAKEN IN WESTERN COUNTRIES HAD INDICATED CLEARLY THAT BANNING OF TOBACCO ADVERTISING ON TELEVISION HAD NOT REALLY ACHIEVED THE INTENDED RESULT.
+ IN MY VIEW, WE SHOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION FOR EMOTIONAL REASONS KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THE PROPOSALS, EVEN IF IMPLEMENTED, WOULD NOT CONCLUSIVELY AND DECISIVELY ACHIEVE THE DECLARED OBJECTIVE,+ HE SAID.
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