FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1986
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CABLE TV: TREND OF THINKING BEFORE GO-AHEAD
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IT IS NOT ENVISAGED THAT THE OFF-AIR TELEVISION COMPANIES WOULD PLAY A SIGNIFICANT PART IN THE OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF CABLE TELEVISION, SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, MR JAMES SO, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY)-
HE POINTED OUT, HOWEVER, THAT HE WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED IF WE DID NOT SEE THESE COMPANIES PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE AS PROGRAMME SUPPLIERS FOR CABLE TELEVISION,
IN HIS LUNCHEON SPEECH TO THE PO LEUNG KUK, MR SO FOCUSSED ON THREE QUESTIONS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO RESOLVE BEFORE CABLE TELEVISION COULD GO-AHEAD.
HE SAID WHILE HE COULD NOT PROVIDE A CONCLUSIVE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE LOCAL TELEVISION LICENSEES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN CABLE TELEVISION, HE COULD GIVE AN INTIMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TREND OF THINKING.
+ IF WE ARE TO PRESERVE THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF CABLE TELEVISION, I THINK IT IS DESIRABLE THAT WE RESTRICT THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS CAN BE INVOLVED IN IT.+
+THERE IS NOTHING UNUSUAL OR EXCEPTIONAL IN THIS. THE PRESENT TELEVISION ORDINANCE ALREADY PROHIBITS A TELEVISION LICENSEE FROM BEING IN A POSITION TO CONTROL ANY OTHER LICENSEE.+
+IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS PROHIBITION WILL EXTEND TO CABLE TELEVISION LICENSEES AS WELL, AS A MEANS OF ENSURING THAT THERE IS GENUINE COMPETITION BETWEEN OFF-AIR TELEVISION AND CABLE, AND, EQUALLY IMPORTANT, TO AVOID THE POTENTIALLY UNHEALTHY CONSEQUENCES OF A LARGE SECTION OF THE MASS MEDIA FALLING UNDER THE CONTROL OF A SINGLE OWNER, HE SAID.
MR SO WENT ON TO NOTE THAT HE WAS NOT SUGGESTING THAT THE OFF-AIR TELEVISION STATIONS WOULD BE ENTIRELY PRECLUDED FROM PARTICIPATION IN CABLE TELEVISION,
+1 AM SURE THAT ANY FUTURE CABLE TELEVISION COMPANY WILL LOOK TO THE OFF-AIR STATIONS AS A SOURCE OF PROGRAMMES.
+TO BE SUCCESSFUL, CABLE TELEVISION WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO PROVIDE A REASONABLE LEVEL OF INDIGENOUS CANTONESE MATERIAL. WHO BETTER TO SUPPLY IT THAN THE OFF-AIR STATIONS, WITH THEIR RESOURCES, EXPERTISE AND LONG EXPERIENCE IN SUPPLYING CANTONESE PROGRAMMES TO BOTH LOCAL AND OVERSEAS MARKET?+ HE SAID.
STRESSING THAT THESE WERE ONLY PRELIMINARY VIEWS, HE SAID THE APPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OFF-AIR TELEVISION AND CABLE TELEVISION WOULD NEED TO BE FURTHER DEFINED BEFORE INVITING LICENCE APPLICATIONS.
/EXPLORING THE
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