XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 36

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1986

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986

!

MR LEE HOPED THAT CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO TAK NG A GRADUAL APPROACH TOWARDS THE BAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTISING SO THAT THE COMMERCIAL TELEVISION LICENSEES WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO LOOK FOR OTHER SOURCES OF ADVERTISING REVENUES TO OFFSET SUCH LOSSES.

HE ALSO BELEIVED THAT IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE MEDICAL SOCIETY TO GIVE THE HEALTH WARNING ADVICE AGAINST CIGARETTE SMOKING,

HARM SEEN IN TOTAL BAN

***

OBJECTION TO A TOTAL BAN ON CIGARETTE ADVERTISING AS

RECOMMENDED BY THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD REPORT WAS EXPRESSED BY THE HON LIU LIT-FOR IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY). BUT HE ACCEPTED THE VIEW THAT ADVERTISING TIME SHOULD BE

RESTRICTED.

SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REPORT, MR LIU SAID HE DID NOT AGREE TO A TOTAL BAN BECAUSE HE CONSIDERED THAT BROADCASTING OF CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENTS WAS EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATED TO A NUMBER OF INDUSTRIES AND INVOLVED LAWFUL BUSINESS COMPETITION AND AFFECTED THE SPIRIT AND SIGNIFICANCE OF A FREE ECONOMY.

HE SAID THAT IN PROPOSING A BAN ON CIGARETTE ADVERTISEMENTS AND AN EXTENSION OF THE TIME LIMIT DURING WHICH ALCOHOL ADVERTISEMENTS WERE BANNED, THE BOARD DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE EXTENSIVELY DISCUSSED THE RELEVANT CRITERIA, SUCH AS WHETHER ALL THOSE WHICH WENT AGAINST PREVAILING MORAL CONCEPTS OR MISLED THE AUDIENCE SHOULD BE BANNED.

+EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS WHICH

HONG KONG HAS ACHIEVED IN ITS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE PAST DEGANÉS IS MAINLY A RESULT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FREE TRADE POLICY AND THE RESPECT GIVEN TO INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISING SPIRIT AND THE FREEDOM OF ENTERPRISE.

+YET THE BOARD?S, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING STATIONS TO ALLOCATE PRIME TIME AND REVENUE TO THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER BE FORBIDDEN DIVERSIFICATION AND FOE THE GOVERNMENT TO BAN TRUELY TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENTS ARE BOUN TO INTERVENE IN THE NERATION OF ENTERPRISES AND MINDER THE NATURAL DEVELOPMENT DE THE ECONOMY,+ HE SAID.

MR LIU FELT THAT IT WAS MOST IMPORTANT FOR THE DRGADCASTI BE INDUSTRY TO BE ABLE TO TRANSMIT INFORMATION FREELY AND TO PROTECT THE FREE CHOICE OF VIEWERS AND LISTENERS AND CONSUMERS.

/HE SADD