TNAG-1556-FCO40-2120-Broadcasting-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 127

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impressions about a lethal product. The Administration feels that in face of the now overwhelming medical evidence on the dangers of smoking, the primary goal of a responsible government must be to help make smoking socially unacceptable and to help create a smokefree environment for all. The BRB's recommendation to ban

to ban tobacco advertising on TV is therefore supported in principle.

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Having regard to the following considerations, however, the Administration considers it in the interest of the community as a whole to implement the proposal in a phased

manner:

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(a)

(b)

(c)

at the moment, the majority of the public seems to favour stricter control on the content and time of screening of tobacco advertisements rather than a total ban;

television provides entertainment to the majority of the population every day, and it would be undesirable to adopt drastic measures which would harm the revenue of the industry to such an extent that programme quality, as well as investment and technical innovation by the industry, may suffer;

the introduction of cable TV in the near future may have adverse effects on advertising revenues to the two off-air broadcast stations, especially if cable TV is allowed to carry advertisements, а question which is now being considered by the Administration;

(d) there is a need to encourage greater competition in the broadcasting industry. An immediate ban may threaten the viability of ATV.

It is therefore proposed that the following steps be taken to implement a phased ban:-

(a)

of

on

as

at the start of the next television licence period in December 1988, all forms tobacco advertising or sponsorship television between 4.30 pm and 8.30 pm, compared with the existing ban between 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm, should be prohibited;

(b)

from December 1990 the above should be extended to 10.30 pm;

prohibition