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The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT), Mr Henry Tang, today (July 22) hold a press conference on the renewal of the sound broadcasting licences. Joining Mr Tang is the Deputy Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology), Mrs Marion Lai, and the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing (CTEL), Ms Lorna Wong. Following is the transcript of the press conference:

Reporter: First, a sort of an observation. Digital was being discussed when Metro got its licence a decade ago, so if we continue discussing it now, it doesn't really seem to hold a lot of water, in terms of supporting the need for a six-year review. Are you in effect trying to give investors some assurance by giving them a 12-year licence but keeping them under your thumb, under pressure by having a six-year substantive review?

SCIT: No. Actually the fact is, every single time in previous 12-year licences there has been an interim review. All the factors that are being considered in the interim review are essentially the same as if it were a complete renewal at the expiry of a licence, so therefore I'm stating a fact.

Reporter: So therefore there's no difference at all between getting a six-year licence and a 12-year licence with a six-year review because the review is exactly the same as getting a new licence?

SCIT: The Broadcasting Authority, after having undergone its consultation as well as all the statutory requirements, often made a recommendation to us for a 12-year licence with an interim review at the sixth year, so therefore we did not see that there was any reason to vary its recommendation.

Reporter: Looked at overall, what will the effect of these changes be on news and public affairs programming in English and minority languages?

CTEL: There will be more flexibility for the licensees to choose the language of broadcasting for the third channel. For the first and second - the first one must be at least 80% Chinese dialect, the second one will be at least 80% English, and then for the third one, there's no restriction, so they can choose.

Reporter: That's overall language, but you have specific news and public affairs requirements in it and it looks like you're liberalizing them, that is to say you're lowering the level of required news amounts in the English and minority-language categories.

CTEL: Not exactly. It's up to the licensees to choose. We only require them to broadcast half-hourly news and weather programmes for one channel instead of for all three in the existing licence.

SCIT: And don't forget, RTHK has an English channel.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)

End/Tuesday, July 22, 2003

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( Floor / Cantonese / English )