XN000022-1984-10-10 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1984

BESIDES EVIDENT IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMES, VIEWING TIME FOR THESE PROGRAMMES HAS INCREASED.

NEVERTHELESS, THE BOARD FINDS THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

A HONG KONG BROADCASTING POLICY REVIEW BOARD WAS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR TO CONDUCT AN OVERALL REVIEW OF TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTING IN HONG KONG AFTER 1988, WHEN THE LICENCES OF THE TWO STATIONS ARE DUE TO EXPIRE.

THE REVIEW BOARD WILL DEAL WITH A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG, THE ROLE OF RTHK, RESOURCES OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION AND RADIO, ADVERTISING CONTROL, THE HANDLING OF COMPLAINTS, CENSORSHIP AND MONITORING REQUIREMENTS, TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS SUCH AS CABLE TELEVISION, DIRECT BROADCASTING BY SATELLITE, MULTIPLEX SOUNDCASTING AND TELETEXT SERVICES, AND TENDER PROCÉDURES FOR BROADCASTING LICENCES.

THE BOARD IS EXPECTED TO SUBMIT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL BY MID-1985, THE REPORT SAYS.

THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TELEVISION HOME VIEWING GROUPS HAS RECENTLY BEEN EXPANDED TO 500. THEY PROVIDE AN ON-GOING FLOW OF PUBLIC OPINION ON TELEVISION PROGRAMMING AND HELP THE BOARD TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS PROGRAMME AND ADVERTISING STANDARDS.

MAIN CONCERNS VOICED BY MEMBERS OF THESE GROUPS RELATED TO UNDERS IRABLE TELEVISION STORY THEMES, VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE, THE REPORT SAYS.

THE IR VIEWS WERE ASSESSED VERY CAREFULLY AND VALID POINTS FOLLOWED UP. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE TWO STATIONS HAD RESPONDED POSITIVELY TO FEEDBACK FROM THESE GROUPS.

THE THIRD FULL-SCALE TELEVISION AUDIENCE ATTITUDE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY IN JULY 1983.

ALTHOUGH RESPONDENTS WERE IN THE MAIN SATISFIED WITH THE FREQUENCY OF MOST TYPES OF PROGRAMMES, THERE WAS A SIZABLE DEMAND FOR MORE DOCUMENTARIES AND MUSICAL PROGRAMMES.

THE SURVEY SHOWED THAT MOST RESPONDENTS, HOWEVER, WERE SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE VARIOUS SUPERLATIVE AND COMPARATIVE CLAIMS IN ADVERTISEMENTS.

TO FULLY GUIDE THE ADVERTISER AND PROTECT CONSUMER INTERESTS, THE BOARD, AFTER CONSULTATION WITH THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY, FORMULATED A NOTE OF GUIDANCE ON 'NO. 1 SALES, BEST SELLING AND SPECIAL CLAIMS' WHICH WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ADOPTED BY THE TELEVISION AUTHORITY IN 1983.

RESPONDENTS FOUND TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS FOR CIGARETTES, LIQUOR AND PERSONAL PRODUCTS TO BE GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE, BUT MOST OF THEM CONSIDERED THAT TIME RESTRICTIONS WERE NECESSARY.

J

/IN ADDITION,