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LCQ15: Public service broadcasting
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     Following is a question by the Hon Lee Wing-tak and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, in the Legislative Council today (December 10):

Question:

     The way forward for Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) was a focus of the public service broadcasting (PSB) reviews conducted by the Government in recent years. Quite a number of members of the public have expressed to me their concern that RTHK's editorial independence and room for freedom of speech could be reduced in the future. They are worried that freedom of the press presently represented by RTHK would be "dried up". They also hope that the Government will set up community radio stations for public use. Yet, the Government has stated in the 2008-2009 Policy Agenda that as the relevant issues are "complicated", the authorities need to take more time to study the subject than they earlier anticipated and will embark on extensive consultation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) given that both the independent review committee appointed by the Government and the Research and Library Services Division of the Legislative Council Secretariat had studied in detail the subject of PSB, of the detailed reasons why the Government needs to take more time to study the subject and the timetable for the above consultation;

(b) whether it will undertake to include "RTHK's disestablishment from a government department and transformation into a statutory public broadcaster" and "setting up community radio stations for public use" as two of the proposed options in its consultation paper when conducting the consultation; and

(c) whether it will undertake to fully engage RTHK staff and the general public in its public consultation on PSB policy?

Reply:

President,

     In 2006, the Government appointed an independent committee, comprising professionals from the broadcasting industry, to review the policy on public service broadcasting (PSB). In 2007, the Review Committee submitted its report to the Government. This contained recommendations on the institutional, financial and programming arrangements for establishing a public service broadcaster in Hong Kong. At about the same time, the Legislative Council Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting also released its own report on the subject in October 2006.

     The question of whether or not and if so how we should develop a public service broadcaster in Hong Kong have far-reaching implications for the broadcasting, social and cultural landscape here. Of course, one of the key issues is the future of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).  

     Following the release of the Review Committee's report, the Legislative Council and the community at large have commented at length on the findings and I am afraid there have been rather diverse views. Since the exercise touches on a range of subjects such as broadcast spectrum management, community and public access broadcasting, it is understandable that various community sector hold different views which require our detailed study. In view of the diversity of the views expressed and the range of issues that impinge upon this matter, we have found that we need more time than expected to thoroughly study the subject.

     The Government is carefully examining the Review Committee's report and studying all the matters relevant to PSB policy in a holistic manner. Once we have completed the study, the findings will, of course, be made public and we will engage the community, including RTHK staff in mapping out the future PSB policy. Topics to be covered will include the future of RTHK, community radio and public access broadcasting.

     The freedoms of speech and of the press are core values of Hong Kong and are guaranteed under the Basic Law and through the Hong Kong Bills of Rights Ordinance. As the Honourable Member has said himself, the editorial independence of RTHK as a public broadcaster has also been well established. I want to take this opportunity to reiterate that Government will continue to uphold these fundamental rights as we consider the future of PSB in Hong Kong.

Ends/Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Issued at HKT 15:01

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