XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 39

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986

+ IF A PHILOSOPHY WAS ACCEPTED THAT LICENCES COULD GENERALLY BE RENEWED ON EXPIRY UNLESS LICENSEES HAD CONSISTENTLY OR FUNDAMENTALLY VIOLATED THE LICENCE CONDITIONS, OR A NUMBER OF APPLICANTS WERE VYING FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF LICENCES, ONLY THEN SHOULD PUBLIC HEARINGS BE HELD TO DECIDE ON LICENCE REVOCATION OR THE AWARD OF LICENCES TO NEWCOMERS,+ HE SUGGESTED.

HE WAS IN FAVOUR OF THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENACT A NEW AND COMPREHENSIVE BROADCASTING ORDINANCE AND TO ESTABLISH A BROADCASTING TRIBUNAL.

HOWEVER, HE WAS HESITANT TO ENDORSE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMPLAINTS TRIBUNAL WITH JUDICIAL FUNCTIONS, SAYING THAT THESE SHOULD BETTER BE LEFT TO THE COURTS.

+ I WOULD STRONGLY ARGUE THAT LICENCE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE TIGHTLY DRAFTED AND ROBUSTLY ENFORCED, AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS BE INCREASED AS RECOMMENDED BY THE BOARD.

+CLARITY SHOULD ALSO BE SOUGHT WITH REGARD TO PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE CORPORATE STRUCTURE OF THE LICENSEES, ON WHICH I WOULD ADVOCATE A LIBERAL RATHER THAN AN INTERVENTIONIST APPROACH, AND AS REGARDS THE FORMULATION OF PROGRAMME STANDARDS, + HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC BROADCASTER OUT OF RTHK BY THE SETTING UP OF AN INDEPENDENT STATUTORY CORPORATION, MR SOHMEN NOTED THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE AND JUSTIFIABLE SUPPORT FOR SUCH A PROPOSAL.

HE SAID A PUBLIC BROADCASTER COULD INDEED HELP TO IMPROVE WHAT WAS CALLED +TELEVISION LITERACY+ AND BETTER ASSIST IN CIVIC EDUCATION, AND WOULD ALSO INTRODUCE AN ADDITIONAL COMPETITIVE ELEMENT.

GIVEN ITS RATHER MORE CIRCUMSCRIBED SCOPE FOR PROGRAMMING, MR SOHMEN BELIEVED THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER WOULD CLEARLY NEED SPECIAL FINANCIAL TREATMENT.

+THIS SHOULD CONSIST OF AN EXEMPTION FROM ANY ROYALTY PAYMENTS, THE LIBERTY AS ENDORSED BY THE BRB, TO RAISE INCOME FROM ADVERTISING, AS WELL AS THE PROVISION OF GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES TO FINANCE ANY SHORTFALLS OF REVENUE OVER EXPENDITURE,+ HE SAID.

ON THE ALLOCATION OF REGULAR PRIME VIEWING TIME TO GUARANTEE THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER BETTER AUDIENCES AND ADVERTISING SUCCESS, MR SOHMEN SAID IT WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE OVERALL INTENTION TO CREATE MORE PROGRAMME VARIETY, AND CAST IMMEDIATE DOUBT ON THE ABILITY OF THE PUBLIC BROADCASTER TO HOLD ITS OWN AGAINST THE COMMERCIAL LICENSEES.

/HE AGREED