XN000022-1991-07-31 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1991

THIS PRINCIPLE IS THAT SATELLITE TELEVISION UPLINKED FROM HONG KONG SHOULD NOT BE TARGETTED PRINCIPALLY AT THE HONG KONG AUDIENCE. HENCE THE RESTRICTION ON CANTONESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING.

HUTCHVISION CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THIS REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR SATELLITE TELEVISION IN HONG KONG WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR THE SATELLITE TELEVISION LICENCE.

THEY STATED THAT THEY PLANNED TO LAUNCH A PAN-ASIAN SATELLITE TELEVISION PROGRAMMING SERVICE WHICH WOULD BE RECEIVABLE IN MORE THAN 30 COUNTRIES IN THE REGION. HONG KONG VIEWERS WERE THEREFORE NOT THEIR PRINCIPAL TARGET AUDIENCE.

THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEIR

SERVICE WOULD NOT COMPETE WITH THE EXISTING AND PLANNED BROADCASTERS, AND WOULD NOT IN ANY WAY JEOPARDISE THE ESSENTIAL BUSINESS OF, OR HAVE AN ADVERSE FINANCIAL IMPACT ON, LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS WHICH BROADCAST BOTH ENGLISH AND CANTONESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES.

"HUTCHVISION ACCEPTED THE LICENCE IN FULL UNDERSTANDING Ok WHAT WAS ENTAILED, AND IN FACT THE LICENCE WAS GRANTED PARTLY ON THE BASIS OF THEIR STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE LARGE ENGLISH-SPEAKING TELEVISION AUDIENCE THROUGHOUT ASIA AND THE VIABILITY OF FUNDING THROUGH REGIONAL ADVERTISING REVENUE.

"THE RESTRICTIONS AIMED NOT ONLY TO PROTECT HKCC BUT ALSO ATV AND TVB WHO ACCEPTED THEIR CURRENT LICENCES AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A SITUATION WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE A FOURTH CANTONESE LANGUAGE BROADCASTER, IN ADDITION TO CABLE TELEVISION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE RECREATION AND CULTURE BRANCH RECEIVED HUTCHVISION'S APPLICATION LAST FRIDAY (JULY 251 FOR A REVIEW OF THE RESTRICTIONS CANTONESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING AND SUBSCRIPTION RESPECTIVELY.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT INDICATED THAT WOULD BE PREPARED TO RELAX THE RESTRICTION ON CANTONESE BROADCASTING THREE MONTHS AFTER THE COLLAPSE OF HKCC.

ON

tt

LANGUAGE

"FOLLOWING THE COLLAPSE OF HKCC, THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED to REVIEW THE WHOLE QUESTION OF SUBSCRIPTION TV. THAT REVIEW IS NOW UNDERWAY AND WILL BE COMPLETED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WHEN IT Is COMPLETED, WE WILL BE INVITING APPLICATIONS ΤΟ PROVIDE SUBSCRIPTION TV IN HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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