XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986

+GOVERNMENT SHOULD THEREFORE CONTINUE TO GIVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG BUT APPROPRIATE STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE ITS EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE, HE SAID.

HE SAID HE COULD NOT SHARE THE VIEW THAT RTHK SHOULD BE DISESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO ENSURE MAXIMUM EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE.

+TO DISESTABLISH RTHK WOULD BE A VERY COSTLY EXERCISE AND UNLESS THERE IS A RADICAL CHANGE IN THE STAFF, MERELY TO DI SESTABLISH WOULD NOT FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF COMPLETE EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE, MR CHEN CONCLUDED.

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SOME BASIC ISSUES NEED EXAMINING

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THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ADDRESSED IN SUFFICIENT DETAIL THE NEED FOR A CONTINUED VIABLE TELEVISION INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG, THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG SAID DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REPORT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR CHEONG SAID THE REPORT DID NOT INCLUDE· EXAMINATION OF THE DEGREE OF CONTRIBUTION, OR OTHERWISE, THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY CURRENTLY MIGHT HAVE ON OUR SOCIETY OR SOME BASIC QUESTIONS, THE ANSWERS OF WHICH WERE FUNDAMENTAL AND CRUCIAL TO THE FORMULATION OF NEW POLICIES.

+THE BOARD SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT THERE WILL IN FUTURE BE A VIABLE TELEVISION INDUSTRY AND THEREFORE DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE EXAMINED IN SUFFICIENT DEPTH THE ADVERSE IMPACT, OR OTHERWISE, THEIR VARIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT HAVE ON THE CONTINUED ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF THE INDUSTRY,+ HE SAID.

MR CHEONG POINTED OUT THAT WATCHING TELEVISION HAD BECOME AN IMPORTANT PART OF PEOPLE'S LIFE OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS AND ACTED AS A BALANCE TO THE DAILY PRESSURES OF SOCIETY.

HE SAID THIS HAD IN TURN CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THE GENERAL STABILITY OF SOCIETY, AND HE URGED THAT ANY POLICIES, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WHICH WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF DAMAGING THE VIABILITY OF THE FUTURE TELEVISION INDUSTRY, MUST BE APPROACHED WITH EXTREME CAUTION.

+ PLEAD THEREFORE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULD SERIOUSLY TAKE THIS ASPECT INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE IR FUTURE DELIBERATIONS, HE SAID.

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