The Office of Communications Authority announced today (15th) that it has decided to relax the requirement for licensed institutions to display non-program materials in local free-to-air television and pay television programs, so that licensed institutions can decide whether to provide real-time news information in their programs based on their program production and arrangement considerations.

In June this year, the Communications Authority received an exemption application submitted by Television Broadcasts (00511.HK), which aims to display news titles in the form of additional subtitles in designated types of programs on Phoenix TV Hong Kong, including current affairs programs, documentaries, information programs, and information and entertainment programs. The authority noted that with the increasing popularity of real-time information and the growing demand for such information among viewers, viewers should already be accustomed to the news titles embedded in the above types of programs, and their viewing interests should not be affected by this.

Therefore, the Communications Authority agreed to approve the application of TVB on the premise that the additional subtitles would not affect viewers' viewing interests. The relaxation arrangements also apply to other program channels of TVB, Hong Kong Television Entertainment Company, i-cable Comm, and PCCW Media Limited that broadcast the above types of programs. (js/k)

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