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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
+HOWEVER, THE RELAYING AND DISTRIBUTING OF THESE PROGRAMMES VIA COMMUNAL ANTENNAE WHICH ARE COMMON TO MOST RECIPIENT HOUSEHOLDS LOCATED IN APARTMENT BLOCKS IN HONG KONG MAY ENCOUNTER LEGALISTIC OBSTACLES OF FRANCHISED TELECOMMUNICATIONS, + HE SAID.
DR CHAM ARGUED THAT AS OVER 90 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION LIVED IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO PERMIT INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS TO RECEIVE SATELLITE TELEVISION BROADCASTS WHILE DEPRIVING THEM OF THE USE OF COMMUNAL ANTENNAE.
+SETTING ASIDE LEGALISTIC ARGUMENTS, WE MUST MAKE CLEAR OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF MAINTAINING HONG KONG AS AN OPEN-INFORMATION CITY, WITH OUR CITIZENS FREE TO RECEIVE SATELLITE TELECASTS JUST LIKE SHORT-WAVE RADIO BROADCASTS,+ HE SAID.
+
PUBLIC BROADCASTER SUITS PRESENT NEEDS
*****
THE RECOMMENDATION THAT RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG BE DISESTABLISHED FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND BECOME A PUBLIC BROADCASTER FALLS WHOLLY IN LINE WITH THE PRESENT NEEDS OF HONG KONG, THE HON JACKIE CHAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT, MR CHAN SAID HONG KONG IS UNDERGOING A STAGE OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN ITS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL STRUCTURE.
+IT IS NECESSARY FOR A PUBLIC BROADCASTER WITH FREE EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE TO BE SET UP TO SERVE THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC WITHOUT COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATION AND GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION,+ HE STRESSED.
HOWEVER, MR CHAN DISAGREED WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER TO USE THE PRIME TIME OF COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS, AND TO BE FINANCED BY THE SHARING OF ADVERTISING REVENUE.
+THIS IS TOTALLY UNFAIR AND SOMEWHAT BARBARIAN, HE SAID.
WITH A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN REVENUE, COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS WOULD BE FORCED TO LOWER THEIR PRODUCTION QUALITY OR EVEN WIND UP THEIR BUSINESS, HE SAID.
EVENTUALLY, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD SUFFER A LOSS AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF BROADCASTING WOULD BE LEFT UP IN THE AIR, MR CHAN NOTED.
THEREFORE, HE
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