*******************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Broadcasting Authority:
In January 2008, the Broadcasting Authority (BA) approved the applications of New World Hotel Company Limited and Marriott Hong Kong Limited for renewal of their "other licensable television programme service" licences to provide television programme services in hotel rooms for a validity period of 12 years.
The BA noted that in January 2008, the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing (CTEL) dealt with 127 cases (213 complaints) under her delegated authority, of which four cases (four complaints) were classified as minor breaches, and 93 cases (177 complaints) as unsubstantiated, under section 11 of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance. The remaining 30 cases (32 complaints) were outside the ambit of section 11 of the ordinance. Please refer to the BA website, www.hkba.hk, for details of the complaints.
Meanwhile, the BA received a total of 271 complaints about television and radio broadcasting services in the month of January 2008, up 31.6% over December 2007. The monthly complaints figures since October 2007 are shown in Figure 1.
The top three cases with the largest numbers of complaints received last month were the television programme "Life Journey", and the television advertisements for "Prudential Insurance" and "Okamoto Condom". These three cases constituted 7.4% (20 complaints), 3.7% (10 complaints) and 3% (8 complaints) respectively of the total number of complaints received in January 2008 (Figure 2). Please see Appendix for the main substance of the complaints.
The BA has, in accordance with the relevant statutory provision, delegated its power to the CTEL to deal with complaints which do not involve any breach of legislation, licence conditions or codes of practice, or falling outside section 11 of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance. Complaints which fall within section 11 of the ordinance are processed by the Broadcasting Authority Complaints Committee, with a view to making recommendations to the BA.
Appendix:
Summary of the top three complaint cases received by the Broadcasting Authority in January 2008.
The top three cases with the largest numbers of complaints received in January 2008 were the television programme "Life Journey", and the television advertisements for "Prudential Insurance" and "Okamoto Condom".
The main substance of complaints about the television programme "Life Journey" broadcast on ATV Home was that the portrayal of a man collapsed on the ground in an episode was unnerving. The programme denigrated certain artistes and the residents of Tin Shui Wai. It was unnerving, exerted a bad influence on children and was unsuitable for children. The programme was unsuitable for broadcast at the timeslot concerned. It did not provide any warning and the advertising breaks of two episodes of the programme were too long.
Regarding the television advertisement for "Prudential Insurance", the main substance of complaints was that the gloomy mood of the advertisement together with the portrayal of the agonising face of a man and the distorted face of a woman with protruding dollar signs in her eyes were frightening to children, of a bad theme and unsuitable for broadcast at the timeslots concerned.
Regarding the television advertisement for "Okamoto Condom", the main substance of complaints was that the portrayal of teenagers playing with a condom as if it was a party balloon was of a bad theme and would exert a bad influence on children and youth. The advertisement would invite imitation from children and would mislead young people into believing that sex could be very casual. The advertisement was unsuitable for broadcast at the timeslots concerned.
Ends/Friday, February 29, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:10
NNNN
