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The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
At its meeting today (August 19), the Broadcasting Authority (BA) approved the promulgation of an Accounting Manual in order to assist television programme service licensees to comply with the accounting separation provision under section 17 of the Broadcasting Ordinance. The Manual sought to give guidance to television programme service licensees, which also held telecommunications licences under the Telecommunications Ordinance, to facilitate the separation of accounts for their television broadcasting and telecommunications businesses so as to provide transparency in their operations and guard against anti-competitive practices (such as cross-subsidisation or discriminatory pricing).
The BA also noted that in July 2006, the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing dealt with 103 cases (189 complaints) under her delegated authority, of which six cases (six complaints) were classified as minor breaches, and 74 cases (154 complaints) as unsubstantiated, under section 11 of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance (BAO); and 23 cases (29 complaints) were outside section 11 of the BAO. Please refer to the BA website: www.hkba.hk for details of the complaints.
Ends/Saturday, August 19, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:42
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