|
Complaints relating to Broadcasting
Services
Handling of Complaints
During the period September 2006 to August 2007, the Authority
processed a total of 1 134 cases29 (2 568 complaints) about the services of broadcasters,
which represented a decrease of approximately 11.2% in the
number of complaint cases and 56.4% in the number of complaints
as compared with the same period in 2005-06 (1 277 cases,
5 885 complaints). Of these, the Commissioner for Television
and Entertainment Licensing handled 1 022 cases (2 354 complaints)
under delegated power. These complaints were related to breaches
of a minor nature, or allegations which do not constitute
any breach or were outside section 11(1) of the Broadcasting
Authority Ordinance, i.e. the substance of the complaint did
not involve a contravention of the legislation, the licence
conditions or codes of practice. Distribution of the complaint
cases by broadcasting services and broadcasters in 2006-07
are in Figures 32 and 33 respectively.
| 29 |
|
This figure includes 84 cases (84
complaints) on reception problems which were referred
to the OFTA for investigation. |
| Figure 32: |
|
Distribution of All Complaint Cases by Broadcasting
Service
(September 2006 - August 2007) |
| Figure 33 : |
|
Distribution of Complaint Cases
by Broadcasters
(September 2006 – August 2007) |
Broadcasters |
No. of Complaint Cases |
No. of Complaints |
| TVB |
418 |
1 282 |
| HKCTV |
175 |
193 |
| ATV |
140 |
293 |
| CR |
93 |
118 |
| RTHK (Radio) |
74 |
128 |
| RTHK (TV) |
34 |
97 |
| PCCW Media |
30 |
32 |
| TVB Pay Vision |
18 |
18 |
| Metro |
15 |
173 |
| CETV |
1 |
1 |
| Phoenix Satellite TV |
1 |
1 |
| Multiple Broadcasters |
50 |
147 |
| Non-Licensee |
1 |
1 |
| Total |
1 050 |
2 484 |
The number of complaint cases referred to the Authority,
28 cases (130 complaints), showed a decrease of approximately
17.6% as compared with 34 cases (539 complaints) in the previous
reporting period. 9 cases (32.1%) referred to the Authority
were about domestic pay television programme services, 8 cases
(28.6%) were about domestic free television programme services,
3 cases (10.7%) were about sound broadcasting services, 2
cases (7.1%) were about RTHK's radio service, one case (3.6%)
was about RTHK's TV service, and the rest, 5 cases (17.9%),
were complaints directed at more than one broadcasting services.
Details of the distribution of the complaint cases dealt with
by the Authority among the different broadcasting services
are at Figure 34.
| Figure 34: |
|
Breakdown of Complaint Cases about Different
Types of Broadcasting Services dealt with by the Broadcasting
Authority
(September 2006 - August 2007) |
Details of the complaints dealt with by the Authority and
the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing
in 2006-07 are in Figure 35.
| Figure 35: |
|
Complaints dealt with by the Broadcasting Authority
& Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing
(September 2006 - August 2007) |
|
Within Section
11(1) of BAO |
Outside
Section 11(1)
of BAO
|
Total
|
|
Substantiated |
Unsubstantiated |
|
The Authority |
CTEL |
The Authority |
CTEL |
CTEL |
Number of
Cases |
19 |
53 |
9 |
749 |
220 |
1 050 |
Number of
Complaints |
50 |
69 |
80 |
2 006 |
279 |
2 484 |
| Total: |
The Authority |
28 Cases / 130 Complaints |
|
CTEL |
1 022 Cases / 2 354 Complaints |
|
Nature of Complaints
In relation to the 19 substantiated cases dealt with by the
Authority in the year under review, 11 cases (57.9%) were
about programmes or programme promos, 3 cases (15.8%) were
about advertisements, 3 cases (15.8%) were about licence conditions
and 2 cases (10.5%) were about the Broadcasting Ordinance.
Most of the substantiated complaint cases were about the broadcast
of material unsuitable for children, family viewing hours,
language and partiality. The breakdown of the nature of substantiated
complaint cases dealt with by the Authority is at Figure 36.
| Figure 36: |
|
Nature of Substantiated Complaint Cases dealt
with by the Broadcasting Authority
(September 2006 - August 2007) |
In response, the Authority issued 3 minor breaches, 13 pieces
of advice, 4 pieces of strong advice , one serious warning
and 2 financial penalties. A breakdown of the decisions of
the Authority on complaints dealt with in 2006-07 and the
accumulative figures for the period from March 1990 to August
2007 are at Figures 37 and 38.
| Figure 37: |
|
Decision of the Broadcasting Authority
on Complaint Cases
(September 2006 - August 2007) |
Decision of the
Broadcasting Authority |
ATV |
TVB |
HKCTV |
TVB Pay Vision |
CR |
RTHK |
Total |
| No Further Action |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Attention be drawn to the
relevant provisions |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Minor Breach |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
| Advice |
2 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
13 |
| Strong Advice |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
| Warning |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Serious Warning |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Financial Penalty |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Apology |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
3 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
24 |
| Figure 38 : |
|
Decision of the Broadcasting Authority on Complaint
Cases
(March 1990 - August 2007) |
| Decision
of the Broadcasting Authority |
ATV |
TVB |
HKCTV* |
PCCW
Media@ |
TVB
Pay Vision+ |
Starvision |
Starbucks |
CR |
Metro |
RTHK# |
HKBN! |
Total |
| No Further Action |
73 |
77 |
15 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
177 |
| Attention be drawn to the relevant
provisions |
14 |
10 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
| Minor Breach |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Advice |
126 |
145 |
32 |
6 |
8 |
6 |
1 |
30 |
16 |
26 |
0 |
396 |
| Strong Advice |
97 |
85 |
39 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
34 |
27 |
3 |
0 |
290 |
| Warning |
51 |
36 |
23 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
16 |
18 |
2 |
0 |
149 |
| Serious Warning |
28 |
26 |
11 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
21 |
1 |
0 |
93 |
| Financial Penalty |
13 |
14 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
41 |
| Apology |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Total |
403 |
394 |
128 |
9 |
15 |
12 |
1 |
93 |
89 |
35 |
1 |
1180 |
* |
|
HKCTV (formerly Wharf Cable Limited)
commenced its services in October 1993 and the figures
are for the period October 1993 - August 2007. |
@ |
|
PCCW Media (formerly PCCW VOD) commenced
its services in March 1998 and the figures are for the
period March 1998 - August 2007. |
+ |
|
TVB Pay Vision (formerly Galaxy
Satellite Broadcasting Limited) commenced its service
in December 2003 and the figures are for the period
December 2003 - August 2007. |
# |
|
The Authority started to handle
complaints against RTHK's programmes in November 1995
and the figures are for the period November 1995 - August
2007. |
! |
|
HKBN (Hong Kong Broadband Network
Limited) is not a licensee regulated by the Authority.
|
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