The Hong Kong Broadcasting Scene - 3 Transmission Modes

picture 3.1 Television3.2 Sound Broadcastingpicture
14 Hong Kong as a Stepping Stone into the Mainland Market13 Other Licensable Television Programme Services12 Hong Kong as a Regional Broadcasting Hub11 Compliance with Regulatory Requirements10 Advertising Modes9 Programmes for Minority Ethnic Groups in Hong Kong8 Programme Genres7 Programme Sources6 Investment in TV Industry5 Broadcasting revenues4 Penetration of Different Broadcasting Services3 Transmission Modes2 The Broadcasting Landscape1 History

3.1 Television

The regulatory regime of television broadcasting in Hong Kong, stipulated under the Broadcasting Ordinance, is technology-neutral4. Licensees are free to choose their transmission arrangements for the delivery of television services. The broadcasters may wish to build their own transmission networks to deliver their service, and in such cases they need to apply for a carrier licence from the Telecommunications Authority to cover the transmission network. Alternatively, they may engage any of the existing carrier licensees to provide the transmission service. The licensees may also provide their television programme services via multiple transmission platforms so as to maximise the coverage.

3.1.1 Terrestrial transmission

ATV and TVB provide their television programme services in traditional analogue PAL-I format via the UHF radio frequency band. They are required to provide service throughout Hong Kong under the Broadcasting Ordinance and to construct new transposers as directed by the Authority to improve reception in areas with reception problems5. Since 1995, the Authority has directed ATV and TVB to build a total of 17 TV transposers. As of August 2005, there were a total of 38 station-operated television transmitting stations and 11 community self-help transposers6 serving the territory.

Figure 8 :   List of Transposers Constructed by ATV and TVB as Directed by the Authority since 1995

Transposer Site
Direction by the Authority
Completion Date
Pokfulam Village
1995
1996
Tui Min Hoi, Sai Kung
1996
1996
Sham Tseng
1996
1996
Tsing Yi
1997
1997
Ying Pun
1997
2003
Yuen Long Town Centre
1998
2003
Tseung Kwan O Village
1998
2001
Hang Hau Village
1999
2002
Tuen Mun Village
1999
2002
Tung Chung Village
2000
2003
Fuk Hang Tsuen and Fu Tei of Tuen Mun
2000
2001
Central & Western Districts
2001
2002
Kau Wah Keng
2001
2003
Tai Pak Tin area of Kwai Chung
2002
2004
Cheung Chau
2002
2004
Cha Kwo Ling
Early 2004
2005
Ap Lei Chau & Aberdeen
Early 2004
End 2006 (target)

3.1.2 Hybrid Fibre Coaxial Cable (HFC) and Microwave Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS)

HKCTV delivers its domestic pay television programme service mainly by hybrid fibre coaxial cable (HFC) network, supplemented by microwave multipoint distribution system (MMDS) and satellite transmission. As at August 2005, HKCTV's HFC and MMDS network covered around 2.1 million households, i.e. 94% of the total households in Hong Kong.

3.1.3 Satellite Transmission

Since the launch of service in February 2004, Galaxy has been employing satellite to transmit a pay television service to its subscribers. In September 2004, HKCTV added satellite transmission mode to deliver its service.

Up to August 2005, there were 13 non-domestic television programme service licensees. All of them employed satellites to transmit their television services to the region. The satellites used were AsiaSat-3S, AsiaSat 4, Apstar IIR, Apstar V, PanAmSat 8, PanAmSat 10 and Intelsat 701.

In addition, viewers in multi-storey buildings can receive free-to-air satellite television channels through SMATV systems. In August 2005, the SMATV systems covered more than 665,000 households in Hong Kong, representing 29.7% of the total households.

3.1.4 Broadband Network

PCCW Media's "now Broadband TV" service is delivered over the asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) broadband network operated by PCCW-HKT Telephone Limited (PCCW) through PCCW's telephony network, which covered about 96% of the total households in Hong Kong. The delivery of the "now Broadband TV" requires a data rate of 4.5 Mbps downstream per subscriber.

On 3 August 2005, Galaxy commenced the delivery of its domestic pay TV service via the broadband network of Hutchison Global Communications Limited (HGC) subsequent to the Authority's approval. The HGC's 10Mbps symmetrical broadband network7 offers 4-5Mbps bandwidth for transmission of Galaxy's service. As at end of August 2005, Galaxy's service delivered via HGC's network covered about 25% of the total households in Hong Kong.

Figure 9 : Coverage of Different Television Transmission Modes

Picture

Figure 10 : Summary of Transmission Modes Employed by the Television Licensees

Licensee Transmission Mode
Domestic Free Television
ATV and TVB 		Terrestrial UHF
Domestic Pay Television
HKCTV
Galaxy
PCCW Media 		HFC, MMDS and satellite
Satellite and broadband network
Broadband network
Non-domestic Television
All the 13 licensees
Satellite


4   An exception is that a service consists only of a service provided on the Internet, is exempted from the regulatory regime under the Broadcasting Ordinance.
     
5   According to the guideline issued by the Authority, the licensees will normally be exempted from serving those areas where the populations affected by poor television reception are below 2,000 persons within an area of a radius of three kilometres.
     
6   Self-help transposers refer to the TV transposers built by parties other than the domestic free television programme service licensees (for example, by the estate developers).
     
7   Symmetrical broadband network offers same data rate for both upload (data transfer from the user) and download (data transfer to the user).

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