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The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
In July 2009, the Broadcasting Authority (BA) approved the application of TVB Pay Vision Limited (TVBPV) to defer the completion of its shareholding changes to November 25, 2009, pending regulatory approvals by other relevant authorities.
The shareholding changes arise from the proposed conversion and transfer of 58.55% of non-voting shares of TVB Pay Vision Holdings Limited, the parent company of TVBPV, from Enjoy Profits Limited to TVB Satellite TV Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB). The BA noted that the shareholding changes involve only the reshuffling of non-voting shares in TVBPV between its shareholders and do not affect the voting control in TVBPV held by TVB, which remains at less than 15%. In approving the application, the BA took into account TVBPV's submissions and undertakings that TVBPV will continue to comply with the relevant regulatory requirements after the shareholding changes, in particular, that the TVB group cannot and does not exercise control of TVBPV within the meaning of the Broadcasting Ordinance or vice versa.
At its meeting in August 2009, the BA considered three cases in respect of licensees' compliance with the codes of practices on programming and advertising standards:
(i) A complaint about television news programmes on various free and pay TV channels broadcast on March 25 and 27, 2009; and the radio programme "The Tipping Point" (左右大局) on CR1 Channel of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited (CR) on February 26, March 27 and April 2, 2009. The complaint was classified as unsubstantiated;
(ii) A complaint about the radio programme "From where the wind blows" (風從哪裡來) broadcast on the CR1 Channel of CR on May 18, 2009. BA advised CR to observe more closely the relevant provision of the Radio Code of Practice on Programme Standards; and
(iii) A case of dissatisfaction with the decision of the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing (CTEL) on the complaints about the television advertisement for "Itacho Sushi Restaurant" (「板長壽司」廣告) broadcast on Asia Television Limited (ATV), TVB and TVBPV from April to July 2009. BA advised ATV, TVB and TVBPV to observe more closely the relevant provision of the Generic Code of Practice on Television Advertising Standards.
Further details of the above cases are available in the Appendix.
The BA noted that in July 2009, CTEL dealt with 135 cases (183 complaints) under her delegated authority, of which three cases (three complaints) were classified as minor breaches and 79 cases (125 complaints) were unsubstantiated. The remaining 53 cases (55 complaints) were held to be outside the ambit of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance. The monthly complaints figures dealt with by CTEL since July 2008 are shown in Figure 1. A chart showing the respective natures of the unsubstantiated complaints in July 2009 is at Figure 2. Please visit the BA website, (www.hkba.hk), for further information on the complaints.
Ends/Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:00
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