WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1986
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DECISIONS ON BRB REPORT PROPOSALS BY YEAR'S END
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THE GOVERNMENT HOPES THAT DECISIONS ON ALL THE MAJOR PROPOSALS IN THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT WOULD BE TAKEN BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, AT WHICH TIME THE POST-1988 BROADCASTING POLICIES WOULD BE ANNOUNCED, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
LEGISLATION TO GIVE EFFECT TO THESE POLICIES WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE COUNCIL WITHIN THIS SESSION, HE SAID.
IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR THE GOVERNMENT CONCLUDED A LENGTHY PERIOD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE REPORT WHICH CONTAINS OVER 100 SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.
SIR EDWARD SAID THAT THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WOULD SHORTLY BE SOUGHT ON SUCH IMPORTANT ISSUES AS THE FUTURE OF RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG, REGULATION OF THE BROADCASTING INDUSTRY,
IN PARTICULAR WHETHER TOBACCO ADVERTISING STANDARDS OF ADVERTISING
AND THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS AND
ON TELEVISION SHOULD CONTINUE REQUIREMENTS OF BROADCASTING.
EARLIER THIS
ONE RECOMMENDATION HAD BEEN DEALT WITH ALREADY. YEAR THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL GAVE APPROVAL, IN PRINCIPLE, TO THE INTRODUCTION OF CABLE TELEVISION IN HONG KONG AND TENDERS FOR THE PROVISION OF CABLE TV WOULD BE INVITED EARLY NEXT YEAR.
ON THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE PUBLICATIONS, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE ALL VIEWS FULLY INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE THE BILL ON THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES WAS INTRODUCED IN THE CURRENT SESSION,
HE SAID THAT THE BILL'S PROPOSALS HAD ATTRACTED CONSIDERABLE COMMENT.
THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE MATERIALS IS ALWAYS A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE AND OPINIONS ARE STRONGLY HELD ON ALL SIDES, HE SAID.
IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT THAT THE WIDEST RANGE OF PUBLIC OPINION IS OBTAINED SO THAT THE WISHES OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE MAY BE RESPECTED.
SIR EDWARD SAID MUCH HAD BEEN HEARD FROM THE MEDIA AND THE HE SAID HE HOPED THAT PARENTS AND TEACHERS ACADEMIC COMMUNITY. WOULD ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR VIEWS, IF THEY HAD NOT ALREADY DONE SO, BECAUSE THE WELL-BEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE, AND THE IMAGE OF HONG KONG WAS AT ISSUE.
THE DRAFT BILL, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN AUGUST FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMENT, PROPOSES A NUMBER OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR ASSESSING WHETHER MATERIAL MAY OFFEND THE COMMUNITY'S STANDARDS OF PROPRIETY. AS WELL AS THE INTRODUCTION OF A CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM TO DETERMINE WHAT MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ADULTS, BUT NOT TO YOUNG PEOPLE.
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