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The following is a transcript (English portion) of a media session by the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT), Mr Joseph WP Wong, after speaking on RTHK programme "Talkabout - Dialogue with Secretaries" this morning (May 22):
Reporter: You are talking about the public service broadcasting review. When do you expect the review will be ended? And also, would you say a few words about ATV's shareholding changes?
SCIT: The public service broadcasting review is continuing. I expect the Review Committee to produce a report with recommendations to the Government perhaps some time towards the end of the year. In the meantime, I can only encourage all those who are interested in the review, and interested in the future of RTHK to participate actively in the review. There is a seminar coming up next month in which the Review Committee has invited experts in public broadcasting service from the States, the UK, Japan, Australia, and Germany, to share their views and experiences with us. I would like to look at this review in an open-minded manner. The important thing is at the end of the day, I hope the Review Committee will put up recommendations which will command the broadest consensus in the community.
In so far as ATV is concerned, any change in shareholding will not affect all the obligations which ATV would have to observe under its licensing conditions. Put simply, ATV and any television station in Hong Kong will have to follow all the requirements and ensure that its editorial policy, its programming policy, must be focused in Hong Kong, and must be in the interests of the Hong Kong community and no other place.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, May 22, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:09
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