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The Government set out by a notice in the Gazette today (January 29) that a mid-term review of the domestic free television programme service licences of Asia Television Limited (ATV) and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) be conducted within the period from January 29 to February 28. This is the final stage in the review process.
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The specification of the review period is a statutory requirement under the Broadcasting Ordinance. The public may provide views to the Broadcasting Authority during the review period.
The current licences of ATV and TVB have a validity period of 12 years from December 1, 2003, to November 30, 2015. The Broadcasting Ordinance and the respective licences provide that the licences may be reviewed after December 1, 2009, when they have run for half of their validity period, i.e. six years, as specified by the Chief Executive in Council. The review provides an opportunity for a comprehensive assessment of the performance of the two licensees since December 2003.
Based on the assessment and public views collected during the review, the Broadcasting Authority may propose amendments to the respective licences to enhance the services to be provided by the two licensees. It will submit detailed recommendations for the approval of the Chief Executive in Council after the review period.
Ends/Friday, January 29, 2010
Issued at HKT 11:01
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