ExCo approves amendments to Hutchvision's Licence
The Executive Council has approved a number of amendments to the Satellite Television Uplink and Downlink Licence held by Hutchvision Hong Kong Limited.
The amendments are to give effect to the recommendations made by the Broadcasting Authority, which conducted a Mid-term Review of Hutchvision's Licence in 1996.
A spokesman for the Broadcasting, Culture and Sport Branch said today (Thursday): "Conditions have been incorporated in Hutchvision's Licence to ensure that Satellite Master Antenna Television (SMATV) operators will still be allowed to retransmit STAR TV's free-to-air programmes to local viewers even after the Copyright Bill becomes law.
"This is necessary because, among other things, the Bill seeks to remove the existing exemption given to SMATV operators for retransmitting free-to-air satellite broadcasts without being considered to have infringed their copyright."
Another major amendment endorsed is that Hutchvision will from now on be required to pay an annual full cost-recovery licence fee of $4.3 million, phased in over five years, instead of an annual licence fee of $46,000 previously.
At the same time, the service origination charge paid by Hutchvision (currently $5.18 million) will be waived.
The amended licence will remain valid until 2002.
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