Stricter regulation needed for mobile TV
PC Lau says Broadcasting Ordinance's stricter standards ought to apply
HKTV has told the media its mobile TV service will be in 1080i, high-definition resolution. That's the same quality as for conventional HD television.
At present, Hong Kong has two free-to-air TV stations, ATV and TVB. Their transmission practically covers the whole of the territory and has a significant influence on society. They are therefore strictly regulated by the government.
The codes of practice spelled out in the Broadcasting Ordinance set standards of programme content and technical quality, and control the content and other parameters of advertising. The TV stations are also required to provide airtime for RTHK programmes and public-interest announcements. TV service providers are obliged to bear a social responsibility.
However, the regulation of mobile TV is not subject to the same regime.
The frequency spectrum in which HKTV will provide its service is one that China Mobile acquired in 2010. It was one of the five multiplexes in the UHF band identified in Hong Kong, of which three were allocated to ATV and TVB for high-definition digital terrestrial TV.
Back in 2010, mobile TV was still in the nascent stages and its quality was inferior even to that of VCDs. But now, mobile TV can transmit high-resolution images, and any digital TV set can receive the signal directly.
So, the reality is, a mobile TV service can now broadcast in HD quality directly to households, circumventing existing broadcasting regulations and become virtually the third free-to-air broadcasting TV station.