MRS Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee expressed concern (Sunday Morning Post, March 21) over the contents of the Broadcasting Authority's codes of practice for television, and the fairness of the authority's procedures in adjudicating on complaints made about programmes.
Mrs Chow questioned whether the television codes of practice adequately reflected prevailing community standards and asked whether they were regularly revised in the light of changing community values.
The Broadcasting Authority does not draft its codes of practice in isolation; it takes account of community standards through regular surveys, liaison with its television advisory panels and discussions with the television licensees.
Since 1980, six territory-wide surveys on television broadcasting have been carried out, with another planned for later this year. These surveys, which have been conducted by either the Census and Statistics Department or independent research organisations, employ recognised methodology and are considered statistically sound and valid by professionals. The results of the surveys are considered in detail by the Broadcasting Authority.
In addition to this, the Broadcasting Authority receives feedback from more than 500 members of the authority's television viewing panels, which are established in each district, as well as specialist advisory panels on the Chinese and English services and children's and youth programmes.
The Broadcasting Authority is also kept aware of community standards by noting the types of complaints received.