Kevin Lo, Christina Lee, Chien Lee and Anthony Lee have been approved to exercise control of Television Broadcasts Limited as non-executive directors, subject to the condition they comply with their undertakings to act independently from any of their relatives in the media industry.

They are "disqualified persons" under the Broadcasting Ordinance from their respective family relationships with people exercising control of an "other licensable television programme service" licensee or a proprietor of local newspapers, and require approval from the Chief Executive in Council for exercising control of TVB.

The Commerce & Economic Development Bureau said they are only relatives to people holding directorship in Movielink and the SCMP Group, and none hold editorial positions in TVB, Movielink and the SCMP Group.

As such, there is little risk to editorial plurality and diversity. However, they have extensive experience in the broadcasting industry and can contribute to TVB and the industry.

Positive impact

The approval will have an overall positive effect on the development of the broadcasting industry, but minimal risk of editorial uniformity and media concentration, the bureau said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive in Council rejected TVB's application for another disqualified person, Robert Sze, to exercise control of TVB as a non-executive director from May, 2004, onward.

Mr Sze is disqualified from exercising control of TVB as he is an associate of two non-domestic television programme service licensees, Skywave TV Company and Auspicious Colour, arising from his non-executive directorship of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings, the voting controller of more than 15% of the voting shares in these two licensees.

No genuine need

The Government could not establish a genuine need nor positive public interest gain to approve Mr Sze to concurrently exercise control of both companies according to the factors stipulated in the ordinance.

With no approval from the Chief Executive in Council, Mr Sze could be appointed as a director of either TVB or AsiaSat, but not both, the bureau said.