IN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1986
HIGHLIGHTING OTHER ADVANTAGES WHICH A SINGLE TERRITORY-WIDE SYSTEM WOULD PRESENT, MR SO SAID IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR A SINGLE, BIG OPERATOR TO OFFER A LARGER R..NGE OF CABLE PROGRAMMES AND AT A LOWER COST, THROUGH ACHIEVING ECONOMIES OF SCALE, THAN WOULD BE POSSIBLE IF THE CAKE WERE DIVIDED BETWEEN A NUMBER OF CABLE COMPANIES.
HE CONSIDERED THAT THE RISKS NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH MONOPOLIES LAY MORE IN RELATION TO THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES THAT COULD BE PROVIDED THROUGH THE CABLE NETWORK.
THE INTRODUCTION OF AN INTERACTIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM WHICH SOME OF THE COMPANIES HAVE ALSO SET THEIR SIGHTS ON AT THE SAME TIME WOULD REPRESENT A MAJOR ADDITION TO HONG KONG'S SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE, HE SAID,
+WITH A VENTURE OF SUCH SCOPE, WE MUST OBVIOUSLY TAKE CARE BEFORE ALLOWING IT TO BE OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY A SINGLE OPERATOR.
+AGAIN, IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE STUDYING THE PROPOSALS TO OPERATE THESE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, AND WILL DRAW A CONCLUSION AS TO THE BEST WAY TO INTRODUCE THEM, HE SAID.
REGARDING THE ISSUE OF CENSORSHIP, MR SO SAID BROADLY SPEAKING THE LEVEL OF CENSORSHIP WOULD BE DICTATED BY WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTED.
+THE IMPACT OF CABLE TELEVISION ON THE VIEWING PUBLIC COULD BE AS SIGNIFICANT AS PROGRAMMES BROADCAST BY THE TWO EXISTING STATIONS. I EXPECT THEREFORE THAT, WHERE THERE IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF A LARGE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO WATCH CABLE PROGRAMMES. THOSE PROGRAMMES WILL BE SUBJECT TO SIMILAR CONTROL AND SUPERVISION AS PROGRAMMES BROADCAST BY THE TWO OFF-AIR TELEVISION LICENSEES.
+HAVING RAISED THIS CAUTIONARY NOTE, I SHOULD ADD THAT THERE MAY BE ROOM FOR SOME RELAXATION OF CENSORSHIP ON CABLE TELEVISION IF THIS IS WHAT THE PUBLIC DESIRES,+ MR SO SAID, NOTING THAT WHETHER WE COULD LIBERALISE DEPENDED ALSO ON THE KIND OF CABLE SYSTEM TO BE INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG.
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS HEARTENED BY THE RESPONSE OF EIGHT COMPANIES OR CONSORTIA TO THE CALL FOR PROPOSALS TO DEVELOP CABLE TELEVISION, THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB NOW IS TO DRAW UP AN OVERALL POLICY AND THEN INVITE TENDERS FOR A CABLE TV LICENCE. +THIS WE HOPE TO DO EARLY NEXT YEAR, HE SAID.
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