XN000022-1996-08-03+04 — Page 2

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Broadcasting Authority to review exemption granted to Metro

A spokesman for the Broadcasting, Culture and Sport Branch said the Branch had approached the management of Metro Broadcast Corp Ltd today (Saturday) to find out the reasons of its decision to cut three daily news bulletins.

The management of Metro has assured the Branch that it understands fully its licence obligations and is committed to fulfilling them.

The spokesman noted that Metro applied in March 1991 to the Broadcasting Authority (BA) for waiver of its licence requirements in respect of news programmes. The application was approved on the following grounds:

Metro already operated a 24-hour news service at that time. information needs of the listeners would not be unduly compromised.

The

In line with BA's general policy not to interfere with a broadcaster's programming arrangements, some flexibility should be allowed.

BA reviewed the above exemption in 1993.

"The Branch will invite BA to review the exemption granted to Metro to see if the justifications and considerations given to the exemption are still valid," the spokesman said.

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Purpose-built hostel a milestone in serving "bedspace" lodgers

The Shun Ning Road Singleton Hostel, the first purpose-built hostel planned and constructed by the Home Affairs Department (HAD), is a milestone in its efforts to solve the housing problem of bedspace apartment (BSA) lodgers, the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Michael Suen, said today (Saturday).

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the hostel project in Sham Shui Po, Mr Suen said HAD had spared no efforts in improving the living environment of BSAs in the past few years.