HKTV row: Lawmakers poke at government vision on broadcasting laws
Legislators trade barbs with commerce chief Greg So on whether the laws are outdated
Does the government have its "eyes wide shut" over television broadcasting laws?
That was the question posed to Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung in a fiery Legislative Council debate yesterday as a lawmaker played on the title of late director Stanley Kubrick's last film.
Legislators suggested the government had erred in its assessment by not updating broadcasting laws when formulating policies for the development of mobile television.
So rejected the claims, saying the decision not to regulate on-the-go television services under the Broadcasting Ordinance was reached after a series of public consultations in 2007 and 2008.
"It was not a misjudgment," he told the Legco panel on information technology and broadcasting. "It was done with eyes open … There was a consensus [about not amending the law]."
He said the policy on mobile television adopted a technology-neutral principle. As long as the operator complied with legislation, it would not be restricted on the type of transmission to use.