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Government's response to NCNA's comment on BOR
In response to press enquiries on NCNA's commentary on the Bills of Right, a government spokesman makes the following response:
"Our position on the matter is clear and consistent. The Joint Declaration and the Basic Law stipulate that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) should continue to apply to Hong Kong after 1997. The Bill of Rights (BOR) Ordinance is to provide for the incorporation into the law of Hong Kong the provisions of the ICCPR as applied to Hong Kong.
"The BOR Ordinance itself and all subsequent amendments made to other Ordinances are entirely consistent with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law that the ICCPR should continue to apply to Hong Kong.
"We have already raised this with the Chinese side of JLG. We will continue to pursue the matter through official channels."
End/Friday, October 27, 1995
Licences of ATV and TVB renewed with new conditions
The Governor-in-Council has decided to renew the remaining term of the current licences of Asian Television Ltd (ATV) and Television Broadcasts Ltd (TVB) and ordered that the renewed licences should take effect on December 1, which is the seventh anniversary of the grant of the two licences.
At the same time, the Broadcasting Authority's (BA) recommendations arising from the mid-term review of the licence of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Co Ltd (Commercial Radio) have also been endorsed by the Governor-in-Council.
Commenting on the changes to the ATV and TVB licences, a spokesman for the Recreation and Culture Branch said today (Friday): "The renewed licences include, among other things, a new clause on free competition and a new requirement on the licensee to broadcast a minimum of 30 minutes per week of arts and cultural programmes on the Chinese channels.