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Moreover, he said: "We should still not have completed the pay TV review or published proposals for the regulation of VOD programme services."
The Broadcasting Bill would serve to codify much of the government policy and practice implemented through the present combination of primary legislation, regulations, codes of practice and licences.
It would not, as some imagine, enable the Government to leapfrog developments in broadcasting technology.
"We cannot make legislative provision for technological developments that have not happened. And we do not in any case intend to use the Bill to amend the terms of existing licences, none of which expire before the end of the century.
"Setting aside the Bill has enabled us to speed up amendments to the Telecommunication Ordinance, and to achieve rapid progress with important policy decisions on cross-media ownership and other ownership issues," said Mr Chau.
On Hong Kong's broadcasting environment, Mr Chau said it was as free, diversified, open, fair and competitive as could reasonably be expected.
He told the Councillors that to maintain a free environment, the Government. intended to introduce an amendment to the Telecommunication Ordinance to scrap unnecessary powers to prohibit radio programmes as had already been done in respect of television programmes.
As regards limits on foreign ownership, the Government will monitor the evolution of other broadcasting regimes, and consider in the context of the 1998 review of the television environment whether there is a case for opening up the market to greater overseas participation.
End
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