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The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
At its meeting today (September 16), the Broadcasting Authority (BA) approved the recommendations of the Codes of Practice Committee to extend the accuracy requirement to four more types of factual programmes, viz. financial programmes, children’s programmes with educational purpose, programmes dealing with medical and health issues, and contests under the Generic Code of Practice on Television Programme Standards (TV Programme Code) and the Radio Code of Practice on Programme Standards (Radio Programme Code).
“Factual programmes” are defined under the existing TV Programme Code as non-fiction programmes which are based on material facts. Licensees are required to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the factual contents of news, current affairs programmes, personal view programmes, documentaries and programmes adopting an investigative style of reporting (which are illustrated as factual programmes in the Programme Code) are accurate. But from time to time, the BA received complaints from the public on inaccuracies of factual details in other factual programmes which showed rising public expectation on accuracy in programmes. Taking into account the audience’s concern, the BA considered that the four additional types of factual programmes set out above should also be subject to the accuracy requirement.
Currently, the Television and Radio Programme Codes require factual programmes dealing with public policy and controversial issues of public importance in Hong Kong to ensure due impartiality. The BA approved the proposed amendments to extend this requirement to segments of other factual programmes, where these segments are dealing with public policy and controversial issues of public importance. The BA considered that the revised provisions would address the inadequacy of the present provisions to enable them to be applied to factual programmes which only contain certain segments which deal with public policy and controversial issues of public importance (e.g. magazine shows).
The revised provisions under the Television and Radio Programme Codes will take effect in October 2006 upon gazettal.
In August 2006, the BA considered three complaint cases, concerning 18 public complaints, substantiated. The first case was about the television programme “2006 World Cup Flash” (2006世界盃頂CUP好波) broadcast on the Jade channel of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) on June 11, 2006 at 12.15am - 1.15am. The second case was about the television advertisement for “Budweiser Beer” (“百威啤酒”廣告) broadcast on the Jade channel of TVB on May 4, 2006 at 10.47pm. The third case was about the television advertisement for “Wrigley Airwaves” (“爽浪無糖香口珠”廣告) broadcast on the Jade channel of TVB on June 14, 2006 at 6.25pm which was during the Family Viewing Hours. Please see Annex for details.
The BA also noted that in August 2006, the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing dealt with 146 cases (378 complaints) under her delegated authority, of which eight cases (nine complaints) were classified as minor breaches, and 121 cases (351 complaints) as unsubstantiated, under section 11 of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance (BAO); and 17 cases (18 complaints) were outside section 11 of the BAO. Please refer to the BA website: www.hkba.hk for details of the complaints.
Ends/Saturday, September 16, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:06
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