The Hong Kong delegation enters the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic Games, at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5, 2016. Photo: EPA
With the Tokyo Olympic Games postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the vice-president of the Hong Kong Olympic Committee, has urged the government to step in and purchase the broadcasting rights – as no local television network can afford the US$70 million fee.
We believe the Home Affairs and the Commerce and Economic Development bureaus should work together in a transparent way to ensure the public will have opportunities to watch the Summer Games in 2021, including the performance of the city’s favourite athletes such as Sarah Lee Wai-sze.
In June 2018, in response to a question raised by a Legislative Council member, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah said a mechanism was in place to ensure the public can watch some Fifa World Cup games and Olympics events free of charge, referring to an arrangement for the free television channel ViuTV to broadcast 19 matches of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Recently, we asked the Home Affairs and Commerce and Economic Development bureaus how they planned to help the Hong Kong public access some Tokyo Olympics events for free.
01:58
2020 Tokyo Olympics postponed for one year due to coronavirus pandemic
2020 Tokyo Olympics postponed for one year due to coronavirus pandemic
In response to our inquiry, both bureaus acknowledged the importance of Olympic broadcasting rights for mass participation in sports and elite sports development, as well as widening programme choices and enhancing the city’s position as a regional broadcasting hub.
Nevertheless, our Code on Access to Information applications about the government’s plans on this matter were rejected by both bureaus on the grounds of protecting commercially confidential information.
Given Hong Kong’s strong interest in the Olympics, we urge the government to work with the Hong Kong Olympic Committee and seek help from the central government to secure a more reasonable deal for Tokyo Olympics broadcasting rights, while keeping the public fully informed on the matter.
Guanhong Li, Siqi Teng, master’s students in language studies, Baptist University
