dilys520 2008-7-19 03:40 PM
Digital deal secures Olympic vision
Digital deal secures Olympic vision
More than five million Hong Kong people will be able to watch the Beijing Olympics on digital TV.
Rival broadcasters ATV and TVB have collaborated with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau to build six new digital terrestrial television (DTT) transmitting stations. Two were activated yesterday with the other four coming on line on August 1.
The two stations activated yesterday are at Kowloon Peak and Golden Hill and the other four are at Castle Peak, Cloudy Hill, Lamma Island and Mount Nicholson.
These and the Temple Hill station launched late last year mean three quarters of Hong Kong households can enjoy live high definition Olympic programming planned by ATV and TVB.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Every Hong Kong citizen wants to have memories of the Olympics, whether it be through purchasing commemorative bank notes or souvenirs. Providing a realistic experience of the events through television is one of the ways we are helping to make that happen," TVB general manager Cheong Shin-keong said.
Alan Siu Yu-lum, acting permanent secretary for commerce and economic development, said viewers need not buy new TV sets to enjoy the digital experience. They merely need a suitable decoder if the communal aerial broadcast distribution system of their building has been upgraded.
A survey conducted by the government, ATV and TVB found around 9.7 percent of households, or 218,000 families, are taking advantage of the coverage offered.
However, a further two million residents, mainly those living in campground sites such as Shek O and Tai O, will still be out of range and no date has been set for when the entire population will be able to enjoy digital television.