WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1994
AND
5
MOTION DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT BROADCASTING CHANNELS
FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR RECREATION MOTION CULTURE, MRS RACHEL CARTLAND, IN THE LEGISLATIVE DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT BROADCASTING CHANNELS:
COUNCIL
MR PRESIDENT,
WILL BE RANGING
I HAVE LISTENED WITH INTEREST TO THE SPEECHES OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS. I THANK THEM FOR THEIR COMPLIMENTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF RTHK AND THEIR CONCERN FOR ITS FUTURE. THESE COMMENTS I AM SURE APPRECIATED. I ALSO THANK MEMBERS FOR THEIR USEFUL AND WIDE COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND PUBLIC ACCESS SOME CHANNELS. I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE MEMBERS
MISAPPREHENSIONS BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND TO CLEAR UP SOME POSSIBLE
AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
WHARF CABLE'S LICENCE
FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR WHERE THE GOVERNMENT STANDS
RELATION TO THE PROVISION OF CABLE CHANNELS IN CABLE. THE
LICENCE CONDITION OF WHARF CABLE'S RELEVANT FOLLOWS
FROM
WHARF
READS
AS
BY THE "UPON NOT LESS THAN 6 MONTHS NOTICE IN WRITING GIVEN BROADCASTING AUTHORITY TO THE LICENSEE TO EXPIRE AT ANY TIME OR TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF VALIDITY OF THIS LICENCE AFTER 1 JANUARY 1995, THE LICENSEE SHALL, IN
THE ADDITION TO REFERRED OBLIGATIONS
TO IN OTHER CLAUSES, MAKE
TO AVAILABLE GOVERNMENT FREE OF CHARGE AND EXPENSE SUCH USE OF NOT MORE THAN MAY BE 3 CHANNELS
AS IN THE BASIC PACKAGE OF PROGRAMMES DIRECTED BY
THE THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY, SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM DURING THE PERIOD THAT THE LICENSEE IS UTILISING THAT SPECTRUM UNDER THIS LICENCE."
THUS IT IS CLEAR THAT
AS
WHARF
AFTER 1 JANUARY 1995 THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE A DECISION TO HOW MANY CHANNELS, TO A MAXIMUM OF THREE, IT WANTS
то CABLE
HAND OVER AND THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY WILL FORMALLY MAKE THE REQUEST TO WHARF CABLE IN THIS REGARD;
WHARF CABLE WILL HAVE TO HAND OVER USE OF THOSE CHANNELS A
SPECIFIED
BUT BY THE BROADCASTING DATE
AUTHORITY EARLIER THAN SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE REQUEST;
AT
NOT
THE CHANNELS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE AND BE FOR GOVERNMENT USE;
WILL
AND FINALLY THAT THEY SHOULD BE HANDED OVER SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM OR IN OTHER WHEN THE WHARF CABLE SYSTEM HAS CAPACITY AVAILABLE.
THE
WORDS
/THESE REQUIREMENTS,