TNAG-0350-FCO40-386-Future-of-broadcasting-in-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 55

9.

4

position as an existing broadcasting organisation with a large staff of highly qualified and experienced television artists and technicians producing some 13 hours of Chinese programming and seven hours of English programming every day, and in view, also, of unofficial encouragement to believe that we were strongly favoured as operators of the second wireless television service, Rediffusion decided to take the plunge and order from E.M.I. new colour and 625 line studio and outside broadcast equipment to the value of approximately £700,000. The placing of that order inevitably leads to the procurement of yet more equipment and work, to

an additional value of some £500,000.

As recently as mid-June the time-table mentioned above

Then, was confirmed by Hong Kong Government officials. on 4th July, our management in Hong Kong was told by

the Television Authority that:-

(a)

tenders were now unlikely to be invited

before December 1972;

(b)

the on-air date for the successful

tenderer would be, at the earliest, lst

(c)

(a)

January 1974, but probably the middle of

1974;

TVB were creating legal difficulties because they would be required to change certain minor frequencies and over the proposals for the erection of communal transmitting masts

on the sites currently leased by them; Government was unwilling to impose on TVB

such conditions as were requisite to ensure

that TVB would co-operate with the next broadcaster over the questions of transmitter

sites;

(e) the Government was considering setting up a

Government-run ITA-type organisation to act

.../5...