19
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986
THEREFORE, HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE ISSUES WHEN MAKING DECISIONS SO THAT ITS POLICIES WOULD NOT LEAVE A BAD IMPRESSION IN THE PUBLIC MIND.
+SINCE THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER IS SUPPORTED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IT SHOULD BE FINANCED BY GOVERNMENT WHICH ACTS ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC,+ MR CHAN SAID.
AS REGARDS AIR-TIME FOR THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER, HE SAID INITIALLY THE BROADCASTER WOULD HAVE TO RELY ONE COMMERCIAL STATIONS TO BROADCAST ITS PROGRAMMES, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE ITS OWN FREQUENCIES IN THE LONG TERM.
IN VIEW OF THE TIME CONSTRAINT, HE SAID IT WAS NOT LIKELY FOR THE NEW FREQUENCIES TO BE ESTABLISHED IN 1988.
HOWEVER, MR CHAN HOPED THAT WITHIN THE FIVE YEARS AFTER 1988, THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER WOULD BE ABLE TO SERVE ALL PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WITH ITS OWN FREQUENCIES.
GREATER RANGE FROM NEW ELECTRONIC MEDIA
*****
A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBER TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WELCOMED ANY FORM OF NEW ELECTRONIC MEDIA INCLUDING CABLE, MICROWAVE AS WELL AS DIRECT SATELLITE BROADCASTING WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A GREATER RANGE OF INFORMATIVE AND ENTERTAINING PROGRAMMES.
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT, THE HON CHENG HON-KWAN SAID IT WAS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT TENDERS WOULD BE INVITED FOR CABLE TELEVISION 18 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EXPIRY OF THE PRESENT TELEVISION LICENCES ON DECEMBER 1, 1988.
+NOT ONLY THAT CABLE TELEVISION IS ANTICIPATED TO CONVEY A NUMBER OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMES WITH BETTER TECHNICAL QUALITY, THE POTENTIAL OF ITS SYSTEMS MAY ALSO BRING ABOUT FUTURE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT INTO A WIDE RANGE OF NON-PROGRAMMING INTERACTIVE SERVICES, HE SAID.
NEVERTHELESS, MR CHENG AGREED THAT THE PROGRAMMING SHOULD BE OF HIGH QUALITY AND SUBJECT TO THE SAME CENSORSHIP CONTROL AS OFF-AIR BROADCASTING.
+ ENDORSE THE VIEW THAT NO ADVERTISING SHOULD BE ALLOWED BUT HAVE MY RESERVATION ON THE RECOMMENDATION THAT A CABLE TELEVISION OPERATOR SHOULD NOT BE REQURIED TO PAY A ROYALTY,+ HE SAID.
/AS TECHNOLOGY