ENG-2004 — Page 471

Communications, the Media and Information Technology 405

advertising and technical performance which licensees have to observe. The BA is also responsible for enforcing the competition provisions under the Broadcasting Ordinance. The BA also makes recommendations to the Chief Executive in Council on applications for and renewals of sound broadcasting, domestic free television and domestic pay television licences.

The Codes of Practice Committee and Complaints Committee are the two sub-committees under the BA. The Codes of Practice Committee regularly updates the codes of practice to ensure that they reflect public expectations of broadcasting services while not restricting business flexibility. In 2004, the BA relaxed the restrictions on title sponsorship and financial advertising on television and radio.

In 2004, the Complaints Committee dealt with 45 cases involving 1 522 complaints about programmes and advertisements. Having considered the

considered recommendations of the Committee, the BA issued licensees four warnings and one serious warning, and imposed four financial penalties on them. The BA concluded its investigation into four competition complaints relating to sports broadcasting rights.

In 2004, the BA submitted its recommendations to the Chief Executive in Council on the renewal of the domestic pay television programme service licence of Hong Kong Cable Television Limited.

With the advent of new technologies and convergence in the communications sector, the BA will examine its regulatory approach to ensure sufficient flexibility and competition for the broadcasting market to operate effectively and efficiently.

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)

RTHK, a government department, is an editorially independent broadcaster whose mission is to provide quality programmes that inform, educate and entertain the people of Hong Kong. RTHK's television programmes are broadcast on free-to-air and pay television channels. RTHK productions have won acclaim locally and internationally. Its television programmes constantly score the highest average rating in the Appreciation Index Survey, a public opinion survey jointly sponsored by Asia Television Limited (ATV), Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), Hong Kong Cable Television Limited and RTHK. RTHK programmes received 34 commendations at international and local television festivals in 2004. RTHK has been broadcasting online since 1994. The daily average hit rate of RTHK on the Internet is 18 million.

Recent Developments

Broadcasting, telecommunications and information technology are converging. Due to the development of digital technology, communications companies can provide digitised broadcasting, telephony and Internet access services over the same telecommunications network. The Government has been reviewing the regulatory regime to ensure that it remains conducive to new technological and business developments. The Government also announced in October 2004 a proposal to merge the BA and the TA into a unified regulator responsible for overseeing the whole electronic communications sector. Such an institutional arrangement, which is the international trend, will enable the regulator to have the vision and jurisdiction to