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The following is issued on behalf of Broadcasting Authority:
The Broadcasting Authority (BA) has completed thorough investigations into two complaint cases relating to Commercial Radio (CR).
The first complaint case relates to an appeal to "March for Universal Suffrage" broadcast on Channel 1 of CR from April 26 to May 2, 2010. The BA ruled that the advertisement was of a political nature and that CR's broadcast of the advertisement without prior approval from the BA constituted a breach of paragraph 28 of the Radio Code of Practice on Advertising Standards (Radio Advertising Code) (Note 1). BA imposed a financial penalty of $30,000 on CR.
The second case relates to the two episodes of the radio programme "Night Rider 18" broadcast on Channels 1 and 2 of CR on May 1 and May 8, 2010. The BA ruled that the two episodes had the objective effect of promoting the image and interests of the sponsor and constituted "advertisements of a political nature", and that CR's broadcast of the programme without prior approval constituted a breach of paragraph 28 of the Radio Advertising Code. CR also failed to arrange for clear announcements on the status of the sponsor and was ruled by BA as having breached paragraph 50 of the Radio Code of Practice on Programme Standards (Radio Programme Code) (Note 2). The BA imposed a financial penalty of $30,000 on CR.
CR has accepted the BA's ruling on both cases and decided to suspend the remaining episodes of "Night Rider 18" from August 14, 2010.
Further details of the above cases are available in the Appendix.
(Note 1) Paragraph 28 of the Radio Advertising Codes provides that no advertisement of a political nature shall be broadcast except with prior approval of the BA.
(Note 2) Paragraph 50 of the Radio Programme Code provides, inter alia, that if any programme, or part of a programme, is sponsored, supplied or suggested by an advertiser, clear announcements to this effect should be made.
Ends/Friday, August 13, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:18
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