XN000022-1986-07-10 — Page 2

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THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1986

CABLE TV PROPOSAL GETS APPROVAL

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THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE A CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (THURSDAY) THE SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND INFORMATION, MR JAMES SO, SAID THAT AS A FIRST STEP PROSPECTIVE CABLE TELEVISION DEVELOPERS WOULD BE INVITED TO SUBMIT THEIR PROPOSALS TO THE BRANCH FOR CONSIDERATION.

APPLICATIONS WOULD BE INVITED WITHIN A MONTH, HE SAID.

+SUCH AN EXERCISE WILL ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO GAUGE BUSINESS INTEREST IN CABLE TELEVISION AND TO BETTER IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES WHICH COULD BE APPLIED, + HE SAID.

MR SO EXPLAINED THAT THE DECISION TO ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT OF CABLE TELEVISION WAS BASED ON INITIAL FINDINGS WHICH SHOWED THAT SUCH A SERVICE WOULD BE TECHNICALLY AND FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.

+ INDEED, THE INSTALLATION OF CABLE TELEVISION IN HONG KONG MAY BE EASIER THAN ELSEWHERE IN VIEW OF THE TERRITORY'S HIGH POPULATION DENSITY AND THE EXISTENCE OF SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUITABLE FOR CABLE TELEVISION.+

+FROM THE AUDIENCE'S POINT OF VIEW, THE ADDITION OF CABLE TELEVISION TO HONG KONG'S BROADCASTING SERVICES WOULD PROVIDE A WIDER CHOICE OF PROGRAMMES WHILE MINORITY VIEWING INTERESTS WOULD BE BETTER CATERED FOR,+ HE NOTED.

MR SO POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL ALSO ENDORSED THE VALUE OF CONDUCTING A PILOT SCHEME FOR CABLE TELEVISION IN THAT IT WOULD ENABLE THE MARKET TO BE TESTED, WOULD PROVIDE AN INDICATION OF CABLE TELEVISION'S LIKELY EFFECT UPON THE COMMUNITY AND AT THE SAME TIME WOULD ALLOW POSSIBLE TECHNOLOGIES TO BE EVALUATED.

HE RECALLED THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE COMPANY (TELCO) HAD SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO ESTABLISH A CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE, TO RE PRECEDED BY A PILOT SCHEME IN TAI KOO SHING.

+SINCE THEN A NUMBER OF OTHER COMPANIES AND CONSORTIA HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN DEVELOPING CABLE TELEVISION IN HONG KONG, HE SAID.

/MR SO