The Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 was gazetted today (March 15). It amends the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap. 562) (BO) and the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106) (TO) to implement the measures proposed in the Review of Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulatory Framework to further promote development of the local broadcasting industry.

     The key areas of the Bill are as follows.

1. Cross-media ownership restrictions
 
     To remove obsolete categories including "non-domestic TV licensee", "other licensable TV licensee", "advertising agency" and "proprietor of a local newspaper" from the definition of "disqualified persons" (DPs) under the BO, and "advertising agent", "person who in the course of business supplies material for broadcasting by a sound broadcasting licensee" and "person who in the course of business transmits sound or TV material, whether in or outside Hong Kong" from the definition of DPs under Part 3A of the TO, and to confine the scope of "relative" under the definition of "associate" to immediate family members.

2. Foreign control restrictions
 
     To maintain the existing foreign control restrictions embodied in the BO and Part 3A of the TO. Only minor refinements to the threshold percentages of shareholding in free TV licensee by an unqualified voting controller that are subject to prior approval of the Communications Authority from the existing "2%, 6%, 10% and above", to "5%, 10%, 15% and above" are proposed.
 
3. Requirement of a licensee being a non-subsidiary company
 
     To remove the existing requirement that a free TV or sound broadcasting licence must not be granted to a company which is a subsidiary of a corporation.
      
     The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for First and Second Readings on March 27.
 
     A three-month public consultation on the measures proposed in the Review of Television and Sound Broadcasting Regulatory Framework was completed in May 2018. Stakeholders in general supported the direction of the legislative proposals to relax obsolete statutory requirements and rationalise the regulatory arrangements, so as to facilitate innovation of and investment in the traditional broadcasting industry.

     The Government announced today (March 15) the reappointment of four serving members and the appointment of two new members to the Hospital Authority (HA). 

     Among the four serving members reappointed, Mr David Fong Man-hung and Mr Franklin Lam Fan-keung are reappointed for two years, with effect from April 1, 2019. Professor Gabriel Matthew Leung and Mr Charlie Yip Wing-tong are reappointed for two years, with effect from August 1, 2019.

     The new members are Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung and Professor Chan Wai-yee. They will serve for a term of two years with effect from April 1, 2019. 

     Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung is the Chairman of Deloitte China. Currently, he is also the Chairman of M Plus Collections Ltd, a subsidiary company under the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; Deputy Chairman of the Hong Kong Red Cross; and a member of the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Advisory Committee, the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service and the Supplementary Medical Professions Council.

     Professor Chan Wai-yee is Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Master of CW Chu College and the Chair Professor and Acting Director of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK. He is an expert in molecular and biochemical genetics, genomics, developmental genomics, epigenetics, epigenomics, stem cell biology and bioinformatics.

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, welcomed the two new members to the HA. She also thanked the outgoing members, Dr Kam Pok-man and Professor Raymond Liang Hin-suen, for their contribution and advice to the HA over the years.   

     The HA comprises a Chairman, 23 non-official members, three public officers and one principal officer from the HA. The membership list with effect from April 1, 2019 is as follows:
 
Chairman:
Professor John Leong Chi-yan
Non-official Members:
Professor Francis Chan Ka-leung
Professor Chan Wai-yee
Ms Anita Cheng Wai-ching
Mr Henry Fan Hung-ling
Mr David Fong Man-hung
Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung
Mr Ambrose Ho Pui-him
Mrs Ann Kung Yeung Yun-chi
Mr Daniel Lam Chun
Mr Quinton Lam Chun-ki
Mr Franklin Lam Fan-keung
Professor Wallace Lau Chak-sing
Ms Lisa Lau Man-man
Mr Stephen Lee Hoi-yin
Professor Gabriel Matthew Leung
Dr Lo Wai-kwok
Professor David Shum Ho-keung
Mr Ivan Sze Wing-hang
Professor Agnes Tiwari Fung-yee
Mr Philip Tsai Wing-chung
Ms Priscilla Wong Pui-sze
Mr Jason Yeung Chi-wai
Mr Charlie Yip Wing-tong
 
Public Officers:
Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Ms Elizabeth Tse
Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan
Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), Ms Carol Yuen
 
HA Principal Officer:
HA Chief Executive, Dr Leung Pak-yin

     A government spokesman said today (March 15) that the sixth District Council Ordinary Election will be held on November 24, 2019.

     The date for holding the sixth District Council Ordinary Election was specified by the Chief Executive in accordance with section 27 of the District Councils Ordinance (Cap. 547). The date was published in the Gazette today.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rate in public hospitals. Key service statistics are being issued daily for public information. Details are in the appended table.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (March 15) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Stanley Main Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island; Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.