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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1988
TOUCHING ON "WHEN HE SAID THAT ON SEPTEMBER 19 AN INVITATION WOULD BE ISSUED TO INTERESTED PARTIES TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR CTV IN HONG KONG.
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"THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION WILL BE THE END OF FEBRUARY
1989. WE SHALL THEN NEED ABOUT FOUR MONTHS TO ANALYSE THE SUBMISSIONS, HE SAID.
"IN THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS, THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY WILL BE INVOLVED IN SELECTING THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER, AND THE FINAL DECISION WILL BE TAKEN BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL NEXT SUMMER.
"WE HOPE THAT BY PUBLICISING OUR INVITATION OVERSEAS, WE SHALL. BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A NUMBER OF COMPETENT BIDS AND GIVE HONG KONG THE WIDEST POSSIBLE CHOICE.
"JUDGING FROM ENQUIRIES RECEIVED FROM THE USA, JAPAN, EUROPE AND THE UK, THERE IS GREAT INTEREST WORLDWIDE IN THIS AS YET UNTAPPED MARKET IN OUR BROADCASTING SERVICES. WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE A NUMBER OF BIDS AND WE SHALL PROCESS THEM WITH CARE.'
"
AS TO WHERE AND HOW PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO SUBSCRIBE TO CTV, MR TSAO SAID THE DOCUMENTATION TO BE ISSUED ON SEPTEMBER 19 WOULD INCLUDE A "HOMES PASSED" REQUIREMENT, SETTING OUT THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR THE SPEED WITH WHICH CTV WAS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE ΤΟ SUBSCRIBERS.
"WR HAVE CARVED UP THE TERRITORY INTO DISTRICTS WHICH COINCIDENTALLY ARE ALMOST THE SAME AS THE LEGCO ELECTORAL COLLEGES: NORTH AND SOUTH HONG KONG, BAST, WEST AND CENTRAL KOWLOON, NORTH, EAST AND WEST NEW TERRITORIES," HE SAID.
"IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE LICENCE, WE SET NO MINIMUM REQUIREMENT. IN THE SECOND YEAR, A TOTAL OF 160,000; 320,000 IN THE THIRD YEAR: 400,000 IN THE FOURTH YEAR; AND 840,000 IN THE FIFTH YEAR.
"WE ANTICIPATE THAT BY THE SEVENTH YEAR OF THE LICENCE, ALMOST EVERY ARBA, UNLESS PARTICULARLY REMOTE, WILL BE ABLE TO SUBSCRIBE ΤΟ CTV.
GIVING SOME INDICATION OF WHAT SORT OF BIDS MIGHT SUCCEED AND THE SORT THAT WERE LIKELY TO FAIL, MR TSAO SAID THAT WHAT WAS BEING LOOKED FOR WAS A CABLE TELEVISION PROVIDER, NOT JUST A NETWORK.
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