Communications Authority Press Release (March)

This press release summarises the decisions of the Communications Authority ("CA") following its 84th meeting held in March 2019:

Broadcast Complaints

The CA considered two complaint cases in respect of broadcasters' non-compliance with the Generic Code of Practice on Television Programme Standards ("TV Programme Code"), the Generic Code of Practice on Television Advertising Standards ("TV Advertising Code") and the relevant licence conditions -

  1. complaint against the television programme "News Report" (新聞報道) broadcast on the TVB News Channel of Television Broadcasts Limited ("TVB") on 16 September 2018. The CA decided that TVB should be advised to observe more closely the relevant provisions in the TV Programme Code and the TV Advertising Code; and
  2. complaints against eight television programmes broadcast from November 2017 to January 2018 on the Wesal Urdu Channel provided by GLOBECAST HONG KONG LIMITED ("Globecast") under its non-domestic television programme service licence. The CA decided that a warning should be given to Globecast.

Details of the above cases are at Appendix.

CA Approves Termination of the Non-domestic Television Programme Service Licence of GLOBECAST HONG KONG LIMITED

The CA approved the application of Globecast to terminate its non-domestic television programme service licence with effect from 5 May 2019.  The CA noted that the termination of the licence was a commercial decision of the licensee.

Globecast provides 14 satellite television channels under its licence, targeting audience in the Asia-Pacific region.  With the exception of one encrypted channel, all other channels are receivable in Hong Kong.

Following the termination of Globecast's licence, there will be 13 non-domestic television programme service licensees in Hong Kong providing over 220 satellite television channels, targeting viewers mainly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Communications Authority
Secretariat

29 March 2019

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