XN000022-1976-06-29 — Page 6

TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1976

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NO ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS

TO BE LICENSED FOR THE TIME BEING

SPARE MF FREQUENCIES NOT AVAILABLE FOR TWO YEARS

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED NOT TO INVITE TENDERS FOR THE TIME BEING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING STATIONS.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TELEVISION AND FILMS AUTHORITY (THE DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE EXISTING LICENCE OF COMMERCIAL RADIO) SAID THAT IT WILL BE RECALLED THAT COMMERCIAL RADIO'S MONOPOLY EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER 1975 BUT THE COMPANY'S LICENCE TO BROADCAST CONTINUES UNTIL AUGUST 1979. THIS LEAVES THE WAY OPEN FOR MORE COMMERCIAL STATIONS TO BE LICENSED IF IT WAS GOVERNMENT POLICY TO EXPAND THE RADIO MEDIA.

A DECISION WAS DEFERRED UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF THE INTER- NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNION'S EUROPEAN REGIONAL ADMINISTRA- TION LF/MF CONFERENCE HELD AT THE END OF 1975 WAS KNOWN. THE CONFERENCE APPROVED A NEW BROADCASTING FREQUENCY PLAN FOR MOST OF THE WORLD, EXCLUDING NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, AND ALLOCATED TWO ADDITIONAL MF FREQUENCIES TO HONG KONG IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM THE GOVERNMENT.

HOWEVER, THE NEW FREQUENCY PLAN AND HONG KONG'S TWO ADDITIONAL FREQUENCIES CANNOT BE BROUGHT INTO USE BEFORE THE END OF NOVEMBER, 1978. ALSO, SHORTLY AFTER THAT DATE, IN AUGUST 1979 COMMERCIAL RADIO'S EXISTING LICENCE EXPIRES. THEREFORE A MAJOR REVIEW OF THE BEST USE WHICH CAN BE MADE OF HONG KONG'S AVAILABLE MF FREQUENCIES WILL HAVE TO BE MADE TO COINCIDE WITH THESE CHANGES AND DEVELOP- MENTS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS STUDY WILL TAKE PLACE DURING 1977/78 AND, IN THE MEANTIME, IT HAS BEEN DECIDED NOT TO ENTER INTO ANY SHORT-TERM, INTERIM, ARRANGEMENTS IN RESPECT OF NEW RADIO LICENCES IN THE VHF/FM BAND.

IT HAS ALSO BEEN DECIDED NOT TO PURSUE A SUGGESTION MADE LAST YEAR THAT RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG (RTHK) MIGHT PARTIALLY COMMERCIALISE ITS SERVICE. SUCH A STEP COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY A MAJOR RE-SHAPING OF THE PRESENT PROGRAMME OUTPUT OF THE STATION ALONG COMMERCIAL RATHER THAN PUBLIC SERVICE' LINES IN THE COURSE OF WHICH RTHK'S INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES AND ITS PROGRAMMES FOR MINORITY AND SPECIALIST AUDIENCES WOULD SUFFER.

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