OFCA commissioned an independent survey firm to conduct a survey on broadcasting services in 2024. The purpose of the survey was to track changes in public viewing and listening habits and gather opinions on broadcasting services. It covered the services provided by free TV, domestic pay television programme service and sound broadcasting licensees. The survey findings were released in February 2025.
CA released the major findings of the Broadcasting Service Survey in February 2025.
The survey findings reveal, amongst other things, that while free TV service remains prevalent among public viewers, the availability and growing popularity of Internet-based media and other online services are posing significant challenges to traditional broadcasting services. 89.5% of respondents had watched free TV programmes, and 38.8% had listened to radio programmes in the month prior to the survey. On average, they spent 2.6 hours per day watching free TV programmes and 2.2 hours per day listening to radio programmes. The findings also indicated that respondents were generally satisfied with the variety of programmes offered by licensed broadcasters.
The information and statistics obtained from the survey will serve as a valuable reference for CA in processing licence renewal applications from major TV and sound broadcasting licensees whose licences are due to expire in 2027 and 2028.
The free TV licences of HKTVE, TVB and i-CABLE HOY are due to expire in March 2027, November 2027 and May 2028 respectively. Under the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap. 562), free TV licensees are required to submit licence renewal applications at least 24 months before their licence expiry.
Upon receipt of the licence renewal applications, CA will initiate the review process. CA will also conduct public consultation exercises to gauge public opinion on the services, including a consolidated consultation for the three free TV licensees in the third quarter of 2025. The consultation will include a public opinion survey, a televised online public hearing and focus group discussions. OFCA will assist CA in reviewing the past performance and future commitments of the licensees, as well as the views of the industry and the public, with the aim of submitting recommendations to CE in C on the licence renewal applications by March 2026.
Staff members of OFCA monitoring the digital terrestrial television signals.
Staff members of OFCA testing the compatibility of radio signals re-broadcast in the tunnel with sound broadcasting signals.
Staff members of OFCA using radio propagation simulation software to conduct television signal coverage assessment.
In 2024/25, OFCA processed two applications for renewal of non-domestic television programme service licences and one application for renewal of other licensable television programme service licence for television programme services provided in hotel rooms in Hong Kong. All these applications were approved by CA.
OFCA holds regular meetings with the Mainland authorities to coordinate broadcasting frequencies for use in Guangdong and Hong Kong. Regarding the launch of a new FM programme channel (i.e. Radio The Greater Bay) by Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), OFCA assigned the full set of FM frequencies to RTHK, which completed the territory-wide broadcasting of the channel in December 2024.
Ms Winnie Tam, then CA Chairman completed her term of office in end March 2025. Ms Maggie Wong, CA Vice-Chairman (Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development) and Mr Chaucer Leung, CA Member (Director-General of Communications) expressed gratitude to Ms Tam on behalf of CA for her unrivalled contribution to the work of CA and the development of the industries over the years.
CA holds meeting regularly to discuss regulatory issues related to broadcasting and telecommunications industries.
To support the future development of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) services in Hong Kong, OFCA will continue to coordinate with the Mainland authorities to identify additional DTT frequency channels for use in Hong Kong.
It is the standing practice that CA does not pre-censor broadcast content. Instead, it adopts a complaint-driven approach to ensure that broadcast content complies with prevailing legislation, licence conditions and the codes of practice it has issued. As the executive arm of CA, OFCA assists in handling complaints about broadcast materials in accordance with the provisions in the Broadcasting (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 391) (B(MP)O) and the broadcast complaint handling procedures of CA.
In 2024/25, OFCA handled 1 090 cases (involving 2 561 complaints) 1, which represented a significant decrease of 39% in the number of cases and 69% in the number of complaints processed 2, as compared with the figures in 2023/24 (1 783 cases, involving 8 216 complaints). Among these, five cases (involving 752 complaints) were referred to the Broadcast Complaints Committee under CA for consideration before submission to CA for deliberation and determination. All complaint cases considered by CA are published on its website. The remaining 1 085 cases (involving 1 809 complaints) relating to minor breaches or allegations which did not constitute any breach or fell outside the remit of section 11(1) of the B(MP)O (i.e. the substance of the complaints did not involve contravention of relevant legislation, licence conditions or provisions in the codes of practice), were handled by the Director-General of Communications under CA’s delegated authority.
Staff members of OFCA handling broadcast complaints.