Provisional licences could solve free-TV deadlock
The idea could be only way forward, 3 years after filing applications, say cable companies
Provisional free-to-air TV station licences could be a way to solve the current deadlock, applicants say.
It has been three years since City Telecom, i-Cable and PCCW lodged their applications for the TV licences, with no sign from the government indicating approval or not.
The issue is complicated by legal action threatened by two existing stations, which say issuing new licences before theirs expire in 2015 would be unfair and unjustified.
As a possible way out, issuing provisional licences was "an interesting idea that merits serious consideration by all parties concerned", an i-Cable spokesman said.
The government was now looking at very limited options, including letting the matter drag on forever, deciding against any licence grants or granting any number of new licences, the spokesman said. The first two options were not feasible in view of the government's 1998 announcement to liberalise the free-TV market, the former Broadcasting Authority's 2011 recommendation in favour of issuing licences to the three applicants and the current snowballing public opinion for more licences, he claimed.
"More important, it has now become rather obvious that there would be judicial reviews, injunction-order applications or both, whichever way things turn out. We therefore find the provisional licence idea interesting as it might provide everybody with a much needed way forward," he said.