CABLE TV accused ATV's Home channel last night of taking exclusive footage of the earthquake and airing it on infotainment programme Hong Kong Today. Pictures of the search amid the rubble and interviews with the injured and homeless were picked up from a satellite broadcast to Taiwanese television stations and used without authorisation on Tuesday, Cable TV said. Logos identifying Cable TV on the screen and on a microphone used in interviews had been removed, said news controller Ronald Chiu Wing-chun. ATV apologised last night for the second incident in less than three weeks involving editing facilities. It is investigating the unscheduled broadcast of two topless women playing darts in a news item. 'It's all a misunderstanding,' said assistant chief executive Kenneth Kwok Wai-kin. He said the pictures were taken from a Reuters service supplied to the station. 'Some of our staff took some of this without realising it was for Cable,' said Mr Kwok. Reuters said the material was clearly marked for the use of the Taiwanese broadcaster only. 'We don't know how ATV got the pictures,' said bureau chief Tony Davenport. Mr Chiu said Cable had the first crews into Lijiang and was the first Hong Kong station to get its own pictures on air on Tuesday. It had been approached by ATV for permission to show the footage but the station said it could not give Cable credit for the film. Hong Kong Today used about two minutes of the film with its own narration and said it was the first crew in Lijiang, said Mr Chiu. Mr Kwok claimed the matter had been resolved, but Mr Chiu said he had had no contact with ATV.
