Signature Campaign for Citizen Radio Bandwidth

Hong Kong government's Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) and police officers had raided Citizen Radio again recently (October 13). As Hong Kong government refuses to grant radio broadcasting license to civic organizations, in order to participate in public broadcasting, the organizers of Citizen Radio have to go underground and take the risk of violating the unreasonable laws. The police has confisticated all their equipment and arrested the organizers. It is a repressive action against freedom of speech. We strongly urge Hong Kong government to open radio bandwidth to the public and return the right of broadcasting to the people.

With a population of seven millions, Hong Kong only has two privately owned radio stations. Compared to most cities all over the world, the number of Hong Kong radio broadcasters is incredibly low. The local society have been demanding more licenses of radio broadcast for years. But the government refuses to change its policy and practice. Citizen Radio submitted an application for license at the end of 2005 but has not gotten any reply from the authority.


Citizen media has been promoted and encouraged by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Global citizens have been in pursuit of more open media markets. Following the policy of cultural diversity, governments of many countries issued licenses to community groups and ethnic associatons to run independent radio stations. But Hong Kong government have been maintaining the laws and institutions inherited from the colonial authority. It seriously violates international principles and goes against social and historical progress. It is a shame on this international city.

We call for Hong Kong government to revise the outdated regulations of broadcasting as soon as possible, to open radio bandwidth to the public and to return freedom to the people.

Hong Kong In-media

You are welcome to sign this statement by visit here and send it to Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (Hong Kong SAR Government).

For enquiry, please contact us at 852-2147-0788.

(P.S this statement is translated from the Chinese version at inmediahk.net, you can directly submit signatures at the comment section there as well.)
Previous report:Hong Kong Police Raid Citizen Radio
A report on the raid in August.