TNAG-2276-FCO40-3275-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 35

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that Lord Derwent fully appreciated these points, and he may possibly return to the subject.

Hutchison and WSTV have both tried to enlist our support for

the introduction of a subscription service and for permission to

broadcast in Cantonese on the BBC WSTV channel. At present the

terms of Hutchison's licence from the Hong Kong Government do not

permit either. We have pointed out that these are properly matters for the Hong Kong authorities. They have told Hutchison and WSTV

that the question of a subscription TV service is being reviewed,

but that they can hold out no prospect of an immediate end to the

ban on Cantonese programming, because they have recently written to

the two local television companies in Hong Kong assuring them that

restrictions preventing new Cantonese broadcasters would continue

for three years. Lord Derwent may well raise these issues, but we

can add nothing to what we and the Hong Kong authorities have

already said. Hutchison are however free to broadcast in Mandarin

Chinese, and the BBC channel, if it goes ahead, will begin operating in both English and Mandarin.