TNAG-0350-FCO40-386-Future-of-broadcasting-in-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 129

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for Rediffusion to bear them.

We would be fully prepared to have our calculations of those losses verified by one of your officers, if you so wish. For example, our airtima revenue from advertisers for the last 3 months is 26% down on last year.

A.

Whilst

Adoption of tender procedure would inevitably produce the dual effect of extending TVB's broadcast TV monopoly by either 14 months or 22 months, and of forcing the closure of Rediffusion operations in April 1973. these two features will produce immense benefits to TVB, on the other hand the following adverse consequences will be suffered:

By the Public:

1)

In any event, the opportunity for the public to have a choice of broadcast television programmes must inevitably be denied until either January 1974 or September 1974. would have thought it was in the public interest to have a choice of programmes at the earliest possible moment.

We

11)

(Compare this consequence with the fact that the public would have a choice of broadcast programmes in February 1973 if the Rediffusion consortium were to be granted a broadcasting licenca, by private treaty, in the near future).

The public would be deprived of any choice at all of any television programmes between the 30th April 1973 and either January or Septembar 1974, as the case may be, following closure of Rediffusion's operations.

(Compare this consequence with what would be the situation if the Rediffusion consortium were granted a licence by private treaty in the near future, in that the public would continue to have the choice between Rediffusion and TVB programmes continuously until February 1973, to be followed with no interruption by a choice between Rediffusion consortium broadcast programmes and TVB's broadcast programmes).

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