XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986

MR CHEONG-LEEN ALSO CALLED FOR A MORE SUBSTANTIAL PRESENCE IN TELEVISION TIME BY THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER BY EXTENDING THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS BY SEVERAL MORE HOURS PER WEEK ON ALL EXISTING CHANNELS, WITH A REASONABLE AND SPECIFIED PERCENTAGE OF PRIME TIME.

HE STRESSED THAT THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER SHOULD CONTINUE TO PLAY A POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE AS A TWO-WAY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE, WITH A GOOD MIXTURE OF ENTERTAINING, ENLIGHTENING, CULTURE AND CIVIC ORIENTED PROGRAMMES.

HE ALSO SUPPORTED THE RECOMMENDATION ON ESTABLISHING A CHILDREN'S TELEVISION FOUNDATION WHICH HE SAID WOULD PROMOTE A WIDER VARIETY AND BETTER QUALITY OF CHILDREN'S TELEVISION PROGRAMMES.

MR CHEONG-LEEN ALSO BACKED THE PROPOSAL TO SET UP A BROADCASTING AUTHORITY WITH ALL MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.

HE ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE THE SUGGESTION THAT A RADIO TELEVISION TRIBUNAL BE ESTABLISHED, BUT SAID THAT ITS PROCEDURES SHOULD BE CAREFULLY WORKED OUT TO AVOID HEARINGS IN PUBLIC BECOMING DESTRUCTIVE OR UNPRODUCTIVE IN NATURE.

ON TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL ADVERTISING, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE DID NOT ACCEPT THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THERE SHOULD BE A TOTAL BAN ON ALL FORMS OF CIGARETTE ADVERTISING ON TELEVISION AND RADIO BY 1989.

+GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON DISCOURAGING THE PUBLIC FROM SMOKING SHOULD PROCEED ON A BROAD FRONT, COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF THE MEDIA,+ HE SAID.

HE SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO ALLOW CIGARETTE ADVERTISING ON THE CONDITION THAT TELEVISION TIME ON THE GOVERNMENT'S WARNING ON SMOKING SHOULD BE IN THE RATIO OF 1:2, THAT IS, ONE SECOND OF WARNING FOR EACH TWO SECONDS OF ADVERTISING, AND THE TOTAL COST OF THE ADVERTISING TIME SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE ADVERTISER.

HE FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT THE HOURS DURING WHICH CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENTS COULD BE SCREENED SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND TIGHTENED, AND CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO SET UP A WORKING PARTY TO WORK OUT A PHASED BAN AIMED AT EVENTUAL ABOLITION OF CIGARETTE ADVERTISING IN ALL PARTS OF THE MEDIA.

LASTLY, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THERE WAS A NEED TO EXTEND THE EXISTING PARTIAL BAN ON ALCOHOL ADVERTISING FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE.

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