WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
12
GOVERNMENT URGED TO RIGHT OLD WRONGS IN TELEVISION
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THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD RIGHT ITS HISTORICAL WRONGS IN FAILING TO REGULATE THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY FOR TRANSMISSION OF EQUAL QUALITY AND COVERAGE BY BOTH LICENSEES, THE HON SELINA CHOW SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT, MRS CHOW HAD FIRST DECLARED AN INTEREST AS PROGRAMME CONSULTANT TO THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY WHICH WAS SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO THE GOVERNMENT TO OPERATE A CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE IN HONG KONG.
SHE SAID SHE FULLY SUPPORTED THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE NEW TELEVISION LICENSEES SHOULD MAKE PROVISIONS FOR THE SHARING OF A COMMON ANTENNA ON A SINGLE TOWER BY ALL TELEVISION COMPANIES.
HOWEVER, THIS ARRANGEMENT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A REALLOCATION OF FREQUENCY, SHE OBSERVED.
+GOVERNMENT MUST SEEK TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THAT AFFECT TRANSMISSION SO AS TO STIMULATE AND FACILITATE FAIR COMPETITION, FROM WHICH BOTH THE PUBLIC AND THE INDUSTRY CAN ONLY BENEFIT,+ SHE SAID.
REFERRING TO PRE-BROADCAST CENSORSHIP, A PRESENT PRACTICE WHICH SHE CONSIDERED AS ANOTHER OLD WRONG, MRS CHOW ADVOCATED THAT IT SHOULD BE SUBSTITUTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION OR THE FUTURE REGULATING AUTHORITY BY SELF DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.
+THE INDUSTRY, NEEDLESS TO SAY, MUST TAKE IT ON TO ITSELF TO ABIDE BY STANDARDS LAID DOWN IN THE BROADCASTING ORDINANCE, WHICH WILL BE SAFEGUARDED AND ENFORCED BY THE REGULATING INDUSTRY,+ SHE ADDED. SHE STRESSED THAT SHE WAS NOT IN ANY WAY PROPOSING A RELAXATION OF EXISTING STANDARDS.
ON THE RECOMMENDED RETENTION OF TWO ENGLISH CHANNELS, SHE SAID IT WAS REGRETTABLE THAT THE BOARD HAD NOT RECOMMENDED A MORE ECONOMICAL AND EFFECTIVE USE OF AVAILABLE CHANNELS BY RESTRUCTURING EXISTING ENGLISH CHANNELS.
+ THE BOLD MOVE OF THE REDUCTION OF ONE ENGLISH CHANNEL CAN MEAN CONSIDERABLE SAVINGS IN THE PROCUREMENT OF IMPORTED PROGRAMMES AS WELL AS THE ELIMINATION OF WASTAGE WHICH RESULTS FROM OFTEN IDENTICAL PROGRAMME SCHEDULE OF THE TWO COMPETING CHANNELS.
+MEANWHILE THAT CHANNEL VACATED CAN BE USED FOR MINORITY PROGRAMMING IN CHINESE, SHE SUGGESTED.
MRS CHOW SAID SHE ENTIRELY AGREED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION THAT RTHK SHOULD BECOME AN AUTONOMOUS ORGANISATION WITH ITS OWN BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND STAFF, SEPARATE FROM AND INDEPENDENT OF GOVERNMENT AND THE CIVIL SERVICE.
/IT SHOULD