Broadcast issues: The Television & Entertainment Licensing Authority handled 77 infractions involving 2,981 complaints in February.

The Broadcasting Authority has urged Commercial Radio to observe the Radio Code of Practice on Programme Standards more closely after a programme host's comments on derivative warrants was found to be inaccurate.

The authority said a listener complained the host of morning programme On A Clear Day on September 11 confused the concepts of call and put derivative warrants and misled listeners about the operation of the derivative warrants by citing a wrong example.

The host drew an analogy between derivative warrants and a manufacturer's warranty of an electrical appliance and remarked the issuer of the warrant would buy back its warrant under all circumstances. The host's reference was general, making no specific differentiation between call and put derivative warrants in explaining how one would make a profit or a loss.

The authority considered the host's elaboration in the profit and loss concept of derivative warrants could not be considered accurate and urged Commercial Radio to ensure the factual contents of current-affairs programmes are accurate.

The Television & Entertainment Licensing Authority handled 77 infractions involving 2,981 complaints in February, with two cases classified minor and 56 unsubstantiated. Nineteen were outside the ambit of the Broadcasting Authority Ordinance.