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The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
At its meeting today, the Broadcasting Authority (BA) approved the application by Times International Media Group Limited for a non-domestic television programme service licence for a period of validity of 12 years, from 29 September 2007 to 28 September 2019 (both dates inclusive). There are now altogether 15 non-domestic television programme service licensees in Hong Kong.
In the month of September, the BA also approved the applications of Langham Hotels International Limited and Ricobem Limited for renewal of their respective other licensable television programme service licences to provide television programme services in hotel rooms. There are now 24 other licensable television programme service licensees in Hong Kong.
The BA also announced that it had given an advice, which is an administrative sanction, to TVB Pay Vision Limited ("TVBPV") for contravention of Condition 37.5(b) of its domestic pay television programme service licence and Condition 27.5 of its non-domestic television programme service licence for the belated submission of annual audited accounts by TVBPV.
Under the relevant licence conditions, TVBPV was required to submit to the BA a certified true copy of the latest annual audited accounts of the licensee not later than the end of April each year. For the accounting year 2006, TVBPV submitted the audited accounts on 8 June 2007, 39 days after the deadline as stipulated in the relevant licence conditions.
In imposing the sanction, the BA took into account that TVBPV had admitted the breaches, TVBPV's submission that the delay was caused by unforeseen factors and that the breaches would not have any adverse impact on the overall broadcasting market.
Apart from the advice, the BA considered it necessary for TVBPV to put in place a compliance system to prevent similar breaches in future. The BA directed TVBPV to submit and implement a proposal to enhance its compliance system within one month.
The BA noted that in August 2007, the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing dealt with 93 cases (185 complaints) under her delegated authority, of which seven cases (13 complaints) were classified as minor breaches, and 69 cases (151 complaints) as unsubstantiated, under section 11 of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance (BAO). 17 cases (21 complaints) were outside section 11 of the BAO. Please refer to the BA website: www.hkba.hk for details of the complaints.
Ends/Saturday, September 29, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:21
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