XN000022-1994-07-06 — Page 18

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1994

THE WORKING GROUP IS STILL EXAMINING VARIOUS ISSUES RELATED ΤΟ THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING CHANNELS AND PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNELS IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING THE QUESTION OF LIKELY FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS. AS REGARDS THE LATTER, I CAN SAY AT THIS STAGE THAT THE PROVISION OF A PUBLIC BROADCASTING CHANNEL WOULD REQUIRE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES, PROBABLY IN THE ORDER OF $50 TO $60 MILLION ANNUALLY RECURRENT EXPENDITURE AND A SIMILAR AMOUNT IN ONE-OFF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE. THE COST OF MOUNTING A PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL, IS MORE DIFFICULT TO ASSESS AS IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT KIND OF ORGANISATION IS ΤΟ RUN IT AND WHETHER OR NOT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES WOULD BE GIVEN FOR PROGRAMME PRODUCTION. FUNDING FOR SUCH CHANNELS IN THE U.S. COMES FROM A MULTIPLICITY OF SOURCES, BUT WE ARE AS YET UNCERTAIN OF WHETHER SIMILAR DIVERSE SOURCES OF FUNDING WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG.

A DECISION ON WHETHER GOVERNMENT WILL INTRODUCE A GOVERNMENT CHANNEL ON WHARF CABLE WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE LIGHT OF RESOURCE AVAILABILITY. AS HONOURABLE MEMBERS ARE WELL AWARE, THERE ARE ALWAYS COMPETING DEMANDS FOR PUBLIC FUNDS AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS то DETERMINE PRIORITIES CAREFULLY. PROPOSALS FOR MOUNTING A GOVERNMENT CHANNEL ON WHARF CABLE WILL HAVE TO BE ASSESSED AGAINST PROPOSALS IN OTHER POLICY AREAS, MANY OF WHICH MAY ALSO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS.

CONCLUSION

OUR HOPE AND INTENTION IS THAT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR THE WAY FORWARD WILL BE REASONABLY CLEAR AS REGARDS WHETHER AND HOW THE GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE USE OF THE TELEVISION CHANNELS THAT WILL BECOME AVAILABLE TO IT ON WHARF CABLE. BY THAT TIME WE WILL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SYNTHESIZE THE VIEWS FROM THE PUBLIC THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AND WILL NO DOUBT CONTINUE TO RECEIVE AND WILL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SOUGHT A DIRECTION FROM THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS DURING THIS MOTION DEBATE WILL BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BY US AND WILL FORM A MOST VALUABLE COMPONENT OF THIS POLICY-MAKING PROCESS. WE HAVE THOUGHT CAREFULLY ABOUT THE WORDING OF THE MOTION THAT THE HON MAN SAI-CHEONG SEEKS TO MOVE TODAY. WE HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE ARE NOT YET READY TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE EXTENT THAT THE WORDING OF THE MOTION WOULD SUGGEST. THE OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WILL THEREFORE ABSTAIN FROM VOTING.

THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT.

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