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The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority:
This press release summarises the Communications Authority (CA)'s decisions following its 50th meeting in March 2016:
Competition complaint lodged by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) against Hong Kong Cable Television Limited and its associates (collectively "i-CABLE")
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The CA considered a competition complaint lodged by TVB alleging that i-CABLE had, in relation to the sub-licensing of broadcasting rights to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2012 Olympic Games, engaged in anti-competitive conduct which had the purpose and effect of preventing, distorting or substantially restricting competition in a television programme service market in Hong Kong and contravened sections 13 and 14 of the Broadcasting Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 562).
Having considered the findings of the Preliminary Enquiry conducted by the Office of the Communications Authority, the CA concluded that there was no case for i-CABLE to answer and that there were no reasonable grounds for the CA to suspect that i-CABLE had infringed section 13 and/or section 14 of the BO. The CA decided that there was no justification for it to proceed to a full investigation pursuant to the Competition Investigation Procedures issued by the CA in April 2012. For details, please refer to the CA's Decision which is published on the CA's website (www.coms-auth.hk/filemanager/statement/en/upload/357/CTV_Decision_20160322_e.pdf).
For the avoidance of doubt, the CA is of the view that the judgment in HCAL 176/2013 handed down on January 29, 2016, does not affect the legality or validity of its decision of not proceeding to a Full Investigation of this complaint case and the publication of the decision.
Broadcast Complaint
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The CA considered a complaint case against the television advertisement for "Lifebuoy Body Wash" broadcast on the Jade Channel of TVB on July 1, 2015. The CA decided that TVB should be strongly advised to observe more closely the relevant provisions in the Generic Code of Practice on Television Advertising Standards. Details of the case are at www.coms-auth.hk/filemanager/en/content_713/appx_20160322_en.pdf.
Ends/Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:07
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