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The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
(I) Investment Plans on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) programme services of ATV and TVB:
At its meeting today (December 17), the Broadcasting Authority (BA) approved the investment plans on digital terrestrial television (DTT) programme services of the two domestic free television programme service licensees, viz. Asia Television Limited (ATV) and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), having regard to the requirements under the Government's DTT policy framework, the adequacy of the investment to meet their programming proposals, and the expert assessment by an external consultant.
To meet the Government's policy framework, ATV has committed, in addition to its six-year plan submitted in 2002, an investment totaling more than HK$400 million up to 2009 to provide a hybrid digital service of high definition television (HDTV) and multi-channel broadcasting. The proposed plan is to launch four new standard definition television (SDTV) channels (namely, trendy culture, trade news and finance, shopping information, and showbiz news) and not fewer than 14 hours of HDTV programmes during prime time per week starting from end 2007. On top of its six-year plan submitted in 2002, TVB has committed an additional investment totaling more than HK$400 million up to 2009 to provide an HDTV channel starting from end 2007. The channel will include not fewer than 14 hours per day of HDTV programmes. The investment plans are binding as part of their licence conditions. The BA will closely monitor the implementation of the investment plans by the two licensees.
(II) Revisions to Codes of Practice:
At the same meeting, the BA, after considering the recommendation of its Codes of Practice Committee (BACPC), approved a number of changes to the Codes of Practice for television and radio, to take effect on January 13, 2006. The current restriction on domestic free or domestic pay television service licensees that when a programme under-runs, the immediately following programme would not be allowed to start broadcast earlier and the gap should be occupied by suitable fill-up material would be removed. As licensees were already required to take reasonable steps to inform viewers when programmes were not shown in accordance with published programme schedules under the existing Code, the BA considered that the amendment would provide them with more flexibility in scheduling of programmes.
The BA also approved the revised definitions of current affairs programme and documentary programme in the Television Programme Code to clarify the respective definitions of the two programme types. The revised definition of "current affairs programmes" spells out clearly that the contents of "current affairs programmes" focus on social, economic or political issues relevant to the community, with detailed analysis or discussion of news stories that have occurred recently or are ongoing at the time of broadcast. The revised definition for "documentary programmes" carve out current affairs programmes, in addition to travelogues, for the purpose of fulfilment of the licence conditions relating to positive programming requirements. The clarification was necessary to reflect the changing nature of programme contents. The BA considered that the revised definitions would provide clearer guidance to domestic free television programme service licensees, to comply with the relevant licence conditions on subtitling requirement and on the amount of documentary programmes to be broadcast each week.
New provisions to the Television Programme Code will also be introduced to provide licensees with more flexibility in promoting their programmes. Domestic free and domestic pay television programme service licensees will be allowed to broadcast programme promotions, through superimposed text within programmes, subject to certain restrictions in the presentation of the text to safeguard viewers' interest.
(III) Complaint Cases:
The BA also found a complaint substantiated. The case was about the radio programme "On A Clear Day" broadcast on the CR1 channel of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited (CR) on 16 September 2005 from 7am to 10am. The BA considered that the hosts' detailed references to a standup show which included dates, venue and particularly the ticket prices were editorially unjustified and had gone beyond the purpose of provision of information about entertainment events around Hong Kong. CR was strongly advised to observe more closely the relevant Code of Practice prohibiting the giving of undue prominence to a product or service of a commercial nature.
The BA also noted that in November 2005, the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing dealt with 104 cases (161 complaints) under her delegated authority, of which 9 cases (9 complaints) were classified as minor breaches, and 67 cases (104 complaints) as unsubstantiated, under section 11 of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance; and 28 cases (48 complaints) were outside section 11 of the Ordinance. Please refer to the BA website: www.hkba.hk for details of the complaints.
Ends/Saturday, December 17, 2005
Issued at HKT 13:50
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