TO: Mr. Patrick Ho, Secretary for Home Affairs

CC: Mr. Timothy Fok, Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong China and media organizations in Hong Kong

HKJA expresses its discontent over the decision of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong China to grant exclusive rights to events featuring China’s gold medallists in Hong Kong next week to TVB.

Other TV stations are only allowed to cover the events in their news broadcasts and the segments could not exceed 3 minutes. HKJA considers such action a breach of press freedom and finds it unacceptable. News organizations should have the right to decide the length of the news segment so as to ensure the public have the right to information.

HKJA considers that because the Olympics gold medallists’ sports demonstration is an important event and of public concern, all news organisations should have equal right to the event. It’s a journalist and a media practitioner’s decision on how to interview and broadcast. No restrictions should be made on coverage.

The Home Affairs Bureau, as the co-organiser of the event, should not only consider commercial interests but the people’s right to know. The decision of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong China, on the other hand, which is funded by the government, should not be commercial.

HKJA urges the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong China to cancel such restrictions so as to let the public in Hong Kong to share the information of the gold medallists’ sports demonstration.

HKJA Executive Committee