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Citizens’ Radio strives for freedom |
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Written by TIMMY SUNG SHIU-CHUNG
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Tuesday, 29 April 2008 |
The broadcast ‘war’ between the Citizens’ Radio and the government has sparked off controversy over whether the government should open the airwaves for public use and increase the transparency of its licensing regime.
 Hong Kong has stepped into an era of digital terrestrial television broadcasting in December 31 last year, and a timetable has been set to ensure its full coverage across the territory by 2012. But the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau did not reply to The Young Reporter whether a timetable for implementing digital audio broadcasting (DAB) has been set or not.
“The government claims that the spectrum is full, but if they go DAB, the spectrum would be compressed. It would allow more radio stations,” legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung explained.
Citizens’ Radio director Tsang Kin-shing criticised the government for its reluctance to implement DAB in Hong Kong. “The government wants to control the room for speech,” Tsang said.
Grace Leung Lai-kuen, instructor of the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the government used an excuse to delay the implementation of DAB, “The government wants DAB to be driven by market force.”
“It is impossible for DAB to be driven by market force, as it would threaten the existing radio operators’ business unless there are economic incentives,” Ms Leung said. “It would build pressure on them because DAB involves a huge investment.”
With only three radio stations in Hong Kong, activist Leung said the number of radio stations is too low and it limits the channels for citizens to express opinions. He said that Hong Kong is regarded as an international city, but there are not even radio channels that are designated for audiences speaking other languages such as the Filipino and Japanese, “This situation is abnormal,” he said.
“They [government] didn’t con-sider comprehensively about the social value at that time,” said Ms Leung.
Leung said community radio stations can enrich the cultural life and increase the number of channels to express opinions, especially the minority.
Tsang echoed with Leung. He said that besides providing a platform to voice for the minority and homosexuals, community radio stations allow people to share creative works like music.
Tsang said at the moment there are no community radio stations in Hong Kong but internet-radio. “Internet-radio cannot do the same as the traditional radio, as internet-radio is narrowcasting,” he said. “But for radio, a large number of people can listen to it simultaneously.”
“Internet-radio cannot do the same as the traditional radio, as internet-radio is narrowcasting,” Tsang said.
Tsang called on the government to review the Telecommunication Ordinance as soon as possible so that there will be higher competition in the industry and more choices for the audience.
Ms Leung said the government had actually revised the Telecommunication Ordinance in 2000, but it was to increase the economic efficiency by introducing competition to the industry.
“They [government] didn’t con-sider comprehensively about the social value at that time,” said Ms Leung.
“Besides an equal playing field for the industry, the government should also ensure that there is a platform to represent different opinions of people.”
She added that access of the airwaves for public use needs the coordination of the policy.
Ms Leung also urged the government to review and to increase transparency of the licensing regime to clear the concerns of the public since lawmaker Albert Cheng Jing-han, who is believed to befriend Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, has applied for a licence for radio broadcasting with a group of influential people in Hong Kong.
According to the Broadcasting Authority, Cheng submitted the application on January 7. His company’s shareholders include Executive Council member David Li Kwok-po and his brother, former Secretary for Education and ManPower Bureau (Education Bureau), Arthur Li Kwok-cheung.
Citizens’ Radio chose civil disobedience to demand the openness of the public airwaves by illegally broadcasting in Mong Kok on January 10 after the High Court had imposed an injunction on them from going on air.
Ms Cheng said that they have succeeded in raising the public attention and discussion.But she questioned whose interest they are representing when fighting for airwaves for public use, “There is freedom of information already, is it necessary to have more for the general public?” She added, “The public might question if they are really fighting for the public interest.”
“There is freedom of information already, is it necessary to have more for the general public?”
Ms Leung said the three months period of going off the air by Citizens’ Radio is in response to those who oppose them to doing illegal broadcasting in Mong Kok “Rule of law is one of the core values of Hong Kong, not all the public will accept it (civil disobedience),” Ms Leung said.
Legislator Leung and Citizens’ Radio founder Tsang both said the three months period is showing their goodwill. They said it is up to the government to decide if they would review the Telecommunication Ordinance in the meantime.
Edited by DEBBIE HUI LAI-WAN
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 April 2008 )
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