The Government announced today (October 11) that the Chief Executive (CE) in Council has approved the termination of the sound broadcasting licence of Digital Broadcasting Corporation Hong Kong Limited (DBC) with effect from October 15, 2016 and the revision of the amount of its licence fee for the licence year 2016/2017.

     Upon the CE in Council's approval, DBC's sound broadcasting licence will be amended to end on October 14, 2016.
 
     A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said, "DBC wrote to the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development on August 8, 2016 to seek the approval of the CE in Council for the surrender of its licence. In its application, the company indicated that it has found no prospect of making its business model commercially viable."

     The CE in Council today also approved the revision of the licence fee to be paid by DBC for the licence year 2016/2017. The fee will be charged on the basis of recovery of costs and expenses incurred by the Office of the Communications Authority in administering the licence for the period from the commencement of the licence year (i.e. August 15, 2016) to the revised end date of the licence (i.e. October 14, 2016), which amounts to $758,365.

     "Apart from the licence fee to be paid by DBC, the Communications Authority considered that there are no outstanding obligations and liabilities accrued under the licence. The CE in Council therefore approved the termination of the sound broadcasting licence of DBC," the spokesman said.

     The spokesman added that the review on the future of digital audio broadcasting services in Hong Kong is underway.

     The CE in Council granted on March 22, 2011 a sound broadcasting licence to DBC, originally for a period of 12 years.

Ends/Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:30

NNNN