XN000022-1983-02-22 — Page 7

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1983

ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE WAS A GREATER VARIETY OF PROGRAMME CHOICE, INCLUDING MORE GAME AND QUIZ SHOWS, LIGHT-HEARTED COMEDIES AND YOUTH DRAMAS.

THE REPORT STATES THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE ENOUGH ADVERTISING REVENUE TO SUPPORT TWO BILINGUAL STATIONS IN HONG KONG DESPITE HESITATION BY SOME ADVERTISERS BECAUSE OF THE 1982 RECESSION.

IT SAYS THAT AN +ACCEPTABLE AND VIABLE PATTERN OF COMPETITIVE COMMERCIAL TELEVISION WILL BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF HONG KONG.

IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT AT THE END OF LAST DECEMBER, 93 PER CENT OF ALL HOMES IN HONG KONG WITH A POTENTIAL AUDIENCE OF 4 630 000 POSSESSED ONE OR MORE TELEVISION SETS.

THE BOARD FINDS THAT THE OVERALL FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE INDUSTRY IS BETTER NOW THAN WHEN THE PREVIOUS REPORT WAS MADE.

ALTHOUGH ONE OF THE STATIONS CONTINUED TO INCREASE ITS EARNINGS, THE OTHER SUCCEEDED IN REDUCING ITS LOSSES, THE REPORT POINTS OUT.

THE BOARD STILL BELIEVED, HOWEVER, THAT GIVEN THE PRESENT STATE OF THE INDUSTRY, IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO CONSIDER THE LICENSING OF ANY MORE TELEVISION STATIONS UNTIL A MORE BALANCED SITUATION CAN BE SHOWN TO EXIST+.

THE REPORT SAYS THAT BOTH STATIONS IMPROVED ON THEIR INTERNAL MONITORING SYSTEMS AND THAT THE NUMBER OF BREACHES OF PROGRAMME STANDARDS DECLINED.

UNDER THE TELEVISION TRANSMISSION COVERAGE TERMS, THE STATIONS CAN, IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, BE EXEMPTED FROM SERVING SMALL AREAS OF SCATTERED POPULATION.

WITH INCREASING LAND DEVELOPMENT, A NUMBER OF AREAS PREVIOUSLY EXEMPTED ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR IMPROVED TRANSMISSION FACILITIES, THE REPORT SAYS.

A SECOND SURVEY OF CHINESE VIEWERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS TELEVISION WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY IN EARLY 1982.

GENERALLY THOSE SURVEYED BELIEVED THAT TELEVISION EXERCISED A BENEFICIAL INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY AND HELPED KEEP THE FAMILY TOGETHER.

THIS POSITIVE ATTITUDE, THE REPORT POINTS OUT, WAS MORE PREVALENT THAN IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO, WHEN THE FIRST SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED.

THE SECOND SURVEY SHOWED CLEAR PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR SOME FORM OF CENSORSHIP AND CONTROL OF STANDARDS BY THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY.

SINCE THE PREVIOUS SURVEY, THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY HAS BEEN EXERCISING STRICTER CONTROL OVER SEX, VIOLENCE AND TRIAD LANGUAGE IN TELEVISION PROGRAMMES, RESULTING IN LESS CRITICISMS THAN PREVIOUSLY THAT SUCH CONTROLS WERE TOO LOOSE, THE REPORT SAYS.

/THE MAJORITY