The Communications Authority is a

statutory body A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state, sometimes by being Primary and secondary legislation, empowered or deleg ...

responsible for licensing and regulating the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. It was formed in 2012 through a merger of the Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority,

Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

, and the Telecommunications Authority. The organisation is authorized to investigate complaints made regarding programmes, issue warnings and fines, or even suspend the license of the radio or television station. The authority enforces the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap. 562), the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106), the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (Cap. 593), Communications Authority Ordinance, and the Broadcasting (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 391). The

regulatory agency A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government agency, government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous jurisdiction over some area of human activity in a l ...

is ostensibly independent of the government, but its executive functions are supported by the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA), a government department with a self-funding trust structure. In 2020, the Communications Authority issued a statement against

RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service of Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econom ...

concerning a comedy show for purportedly "denigrating and insulting" the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. Pursuant to the one c ...

. In 2023, the agency recommended to the Chief Executive that free-to-air broadcasters transmit 30 minutes of patriotic and national security programming every week; the Chief Executive, John Lee, accepted the idea and made it mandatory. In July 2023, the agency proposed that national security media be exempt from a requirement that programs be impartial with "even-handedness," as well as certain media from mainland China.

Structure

The CA is headed by a chair and 11 other members: The current Board of the CA consist of: * Winnie TAM Wan-chi, SC - Chair * Eliza LEE Man-ching, JP - Vice-chair * Karen CHAN Ka-yin, JP * Stephen HUNG Wan-shun * Yvonne LAW SHING Mo-han, BBS, JP * Thomas LO Sui-sing, JP * Hubert NG Ching-wah * Anthony William SEETO Yiu-wai * Benjamin TANG Kwok-bun, GBS * XU Yan * Ray YEP Kin-man * Agnes WONG Tin-yu, JP

List of Chairman

* Ambrose Ho 2012–2017: former Chairman of the Broadcasting Authority 2008-2012 * Mr Huen Wong, BBS, JP 2017-? * Ms Winnie TAM Wan-chi, SC ?-present

Comparisons

Similar bodies around the world are: *

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Australian Communications and Media Authority The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is an Australian government statutory authority within the Communications portfolio. ACMA was formed on 1 July 2005 with the merger of the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Aus ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; ) is a public organization in Canada tasked with the mandate as a regulatory agency tribunal for various electronic communications, covering broadcasting and telecommunic ...

(CRTC) *

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

: Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication (formerly Superior Audiovisual Council and earlier ORTF) *

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

: Office of Communications (Ofcom) *

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC)

References

External links

* {{authority control 2012 establishments in Hong Kong Communications Authority Hong Kong government departments and agencies Communications and media organizations based in China