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The following is issued on behalf of Broadcasting Authority:
At its meeting today (July 22), the Broadcasting Authority (BA) considered two complaint cases substantiated. The first case was about the non-exclusive supply of two television channels, namely TVBS Asia and TVBS News by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) to Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Limited (Galaxy, now renamed as TVB Pay Vision). TVB and Galaxy were prohibited under their licences from engaging in conducts that show undue preference to or undue discrimination against any person in relation to the supply of programming rights. TVB was also required to offer or make available programming rights to other licensees on no less favourable terms than those given to Galaxy. The restriction was part of the special conditions incorporated into TVB and Galaxy・s licences as a safeguard to ensure an effective firewall between TVB and Galaxy.
Having examined the details of TVB・s offer to other licensees, the BA considered that TVB had given Galaxy more negotiation time and lead time for the launch of the channels than that given to other licensees, thereby constituting a breach of the relevant firewall conditions. Taking into account the mitigating factor that none of the other licensees had shown any interest in the offer or initiated any discussion with TVB, TVB and Galaxy each were given a warning to observe more closely the relevant provisions.
The second case was about the television advertisement for ：Motorola V3i Mobile Phone； broadcast on the Jade channel on Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) on February 19, 2006 at 9.05pm; on the Cable News Channel of Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (HKCTV) on February 16, 2006 at 8.25pm and on the ESPN Channel of now Broadband TV (PCCW Media Limited) on February 18, 2006 at 8.52pm. The BA considered that the portrayals of the woman・s repeated act of striking with her arm violently in a furious manner in close-up shots and the implied act of her defacing a car with a razor-sharp mobile phone carried violent connotations. The depictions were excessive, threatening and not contextually justified. The BA also considered the advertisement was of bad taste as there was no need to use such act of destruction as the theme for a mobile phone advertisement. The depiction of venting one・s anger through the act of defacing a car had the effect of promoting the use of violence as a means of solving problems. TVB, HKCTV and PCCW Media Limited were advised to observe more closely the relevant provisions of the Code of Practice on depictions of violence and good taste.
Ends/Saturday, July 22, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:55
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