The Communications Authority (CA) today (15 September 2014) launched a two-month public consultation exercise on the renewal of the analogue sound broadcasting licences (licences) of Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited (CRHK) and Metro Broadcast Corporation Limited (Metro).
As part of the public consultation exercise, the CA will organise two public hearings at Leighton Hill Community Hall and Mei Foo Community Hall from 7 pm to 9 pm on 9 and 30 October 2014 respectively. Reservation starts from today (15 September 2014) for the first public hearing and from 10 October 2014 for the second public hearing. Please call 2961 6335 or visit the website of the CA at www.coms-auth.hk for details and registration.
Members of the public may also forward their views in writing on the performance of CRHK and Metro to the CA by 14 November 2014. They may do so by post to 20/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; by fax to 2507 2219 or by email to consultation-crhkmetro@ofca.gov.hk. To facilitate the public to give views on different areas of the performance of the two licensees, the CA has published an information booklet containing a summary of the licensees’ services, complaint records, investment plans and the current regulatory requirements for analogue sound broadcasting licences. Members of the public may collect the information booklet at district offices of the Home Affairs Department starting from today (15 September 2014). They may also visit the CA website (www.coms-auth.hk) for details.
By way of background, in July 2003, the Chief Executive in Council (CE in Council) approved the renewal of the licences of CRHK and Metro for 12 years from 26 August 2004 to 25 August 2016. The CA has received the applications from CRHK and Metro for renewal of their licences. As an independent statutory body that regulates broadcasting services in Hong Kong, the CA will carry out a comprehensive assessment of the performance of CRHK and Metro against various statutory requirements as well as requirements under their licences and the codes of practice, and take into account public views before making recommendations to the CE in Council on the licence renewal applications of CRHK and Metro by May 2015 pursuant to the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap.106).
Communications Authority
Secretariat
15 September 2014