Communications Authority press release

The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority:

     This press release summarises the decisions of the Communications Authority (CA) following its 75th meeting held in May 2018:

Broadcast Complaints
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     In respect of two complaint cases involving licensees' breaches of the provisions relating to indirect advertising in the Generic Code of Practice on Television Programme Standards (TV Programme Code):

(a) for the first complaint case concerning the references to and/or exposure of a mobile app service in five television programmes, namely, "Big Big Kids Awards 2017", "Big Big Channel What's In Store", "The Big Big Channel Nite" and "Big Big Channel Mid-Autumn Hasty Party" broadcast on the Jade Channel of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) in June, July and October 2017, and in "Scoop", broadcast on the Jade Channel of TVB on June 22 and 23, 2017 and rerun on the Jade Catch-Up Channel of PCCW Media Limited (now TV), the CA decided that:

(i) a financial penalty of $300,000 should be imposed on TVB for breaching the relevant provisions in the TV Programme Code in respect of the broadcast of the four programmes "Big Big Kids Awards 2017", "Scoop" (two episodes), "Big Big Channel What's In Store" and "The Big Big Channel Nite" collectively;

(ii) in respect of the broadcast of the programme "Big Big Channel Mid-Autumn Hasty Party", TVB should be seriously warned to observe more closely the relevant provisions in the TV Programme Code;

(iii) in respect of the broadcast of the programme "Scoop", now TV should be advised to observe more closely the relevant provisions in the TV Programme Code; and

(b) for the second complaint case concerning two television programme promos broadcast on the Jade Channel of TVB, namely, the promo for "TVB 50th Anniversary Gala" on November 19, 2017, and the promo for "TV Awards Presentation 2017" on January 21, 2018, the CA decided that TVB should be strongly advised to observe more closely the relevant provisions in the TV Programme Code.
 
     Details of the above cases are at: https://www.coms-auth.hk/filemanager/en/content_713/appx_20180601_en.pdf.

     The above complaints concerned indirect advertising. While the CA is conducting a review of the regulation of indirect advertising, the process is still ongoing. Meanwhile, licensees are obliged to continue to comply with the applicable provisions in the prevailing Codes of Practice, unless and until any changes that may be made to them consequent to the review take effect.