XN000022-1994-07-06 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1994

AND

5

MOTION DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT BROADCASTING CHANNELS

FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR RECREATION MOTION CULTURE, MRS RACHEL CARTLAND, IN THE LEGISLATIVE DEBATE ON GOVERNMENT BROADCASTING CHANNELS:

COUNCIL

MR PRESIDENT,

WILL BE RANGING

I HAVE LISTENED WITH INTEREST TO THE SPEECHES OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS. I THANK THEM FOR THEIR COMPLIMENTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF RTHK AND THEIR CONCERN FOR ITS FUTURE. THESE COMMENTS I AM SURE APPRECIATED. I ALSO THANK MEMBERS FOR THEIR USEFUL AND WIDE COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND PUBLIC ACCESS SOME CHANNELS. I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE MEMBERS

MISAPPREHENSIONS BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND TO CLEAR UP SOME POSSIBLE

AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS.

WHARF CABLE'S LICENCE

FIRST OF ALL I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE CLEAR WHERE THE GOVERNMENT STANDS

RELATION TO THE PROVISION OF CABLE CHANNELS IN CABLE. THE

LICENCE CONDITION OF WHARF CABLE'S RELEVANT FOLLOWS

FROM

WHARF

READS

AS

BY THE "UPON NOT LESS THAN 6 MONTHS NOTICE IN WRITING GIVEN BROADCASTING AUTHORITY TO THE LICENSEE TO EXPIRE AT ANY TIME OR TIMES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF VALIDITY OF THIS LICENCE AFTER 1 JANUARY 1995, THE LICENSEE SHALL, IN

THE ADDITION TO REFERRED OBLIGATIONS

TO IN OTHER CLAUSES, MAKE

TO AVAILABLE GOVERNMENT FREE OF CHARGE AND EXPENSE SUCH USE OF NOT MORE THAN MAY BE 3 CHANNELS

AS IN THE BASIC PACKAGE OF PROGRAMMES DIRECTED BY

THE THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY, SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM DURING THE PERIOD THAT THE LICENSEE IS UTILISING THAT SPECTRUM UNDER THIS LICENCE."

THUS IT IS CLEAR THAT

AS

WHARF

AFTER 1 JANUARY 1995 THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE A DECISION TO HOW MANY CHANNELS, TO A MAXIMUM OF THREE, IT WANTS

то CABLE

HAND OVER AND THE BROADCASTING AUTHORITY WILL FORMALLY MAKE THE REQUEST TO WHARF CABLE IN THIS REGARD;

WHARF CABLE WILL HAVE TO HAND OVER USE OF THOSE CHANNELS A

SPECIFIED

BUT BY THE BROADCASTING DATE

AUTHORITY EARLIER THAN SIX MONTHS FOLLOWING THE REQUEST;

AT

NOT

THE CHANNELS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE AND BE FOR GOVERNMENT USE;

WILL

AND FINALLY THAT THEY SHOULD BE HANDED OVER SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY OF RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM OR IN OTHER WHEN THE WHARF CABLE SYSTEM HAS CAPACITY AVAILABLE.

THE

WORDS

/THESE REQUIREMENTS,