No legal advice or instruction given to Communications Authority by DoJ regarding transmission standards of mobile TV and related matters
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     In respect of the article published in Next Magazine today (March 19) alleging that the Department of Justice (DoJ) had given legal advice and instructions to the Communications Authority (CA) or the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) on the matter of whether the adoption of certain proposed transmission standard by Hong Kong Mobile Television Network Limited (HKMTV) would amount to providing a domestic free television programme service, a spokesman for the DoJ said that the report was far from the truth.

     "The DoJ has never provided any legal advice to the CA or OFCA on the above matter," the spokesman said. The CA is an independent statutory body and has its own legal advisers on regulatory matters, the spokesman stressed.

     The spokesman added that the allegations in the article that the "DoJ has ordered to shut out Mr Ricky Wong" and the "DoJ had put in the final word, and rung the knell of HKMTV" have no foundation at all. The DoJ has never communicated with or given instructions to the CA or OFCA on the above matter. The DoJ expressed its regret regarding the unfounded allegations contained in the article.

Ends/Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:15

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