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Mr So noted that this pre-censorship power created a disparity in treatment between different media, since no similar restriction was imposed on sound broadcasters and the printed media.
"There is little justification to retain this Regulation in the Television Ordinance," he said.
"Following the repeal, however, provisions will continue to be made, and be revised if necessary, in the Codes of Practice issued by the Broadcasting Authority, to guide broadcasters in respect of advertisements on medical preparations, and to protect the public against misleading and unacceptable advertisements in this regard."
The Television (Programmes) (Amendment) Regulation 1995, approved by the Governor in Council on June 27, repeals the stipulation that programmes broadcast by the commercial and subscription television licensees shall exclude material which is likely to offend against good taste and decency, mislead or alarm, encourage and incite crime or social disorder, discredit the law or the social institutions or to serve the interest of any foreign political party.
This provision, regarded as excessively restrictive and deemed to contain too vague a restriction of freedom of information, has been superseded by section 33 of the Television Ordinance introduced in April 1993. Similar provisions are also found in Part IIIA of the Telecommunication Ordinance to regulate sound broadcasting.
"The Administration considers that these provisions already provide a suitable balance between the need to protect freedom of information on the one hand, and the need to guard against the broadcast of totally unacceptable programming on the other.
"There is, therefore, little justification to retain restrictions on broadcasting contents in the subsidiary legislation," Mr So said.
Both bills were passed by the Legislative Council today.
End/Wednesday, July 19, 1995
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