Complaints about RTHK substantiated

The Communications Authority (CA) on Thursday said two complaints against RTHK have been substantiated, including one that involved the wrong use of the term “nationwide” in a news story about Taiwan.

The story in question was about a by-election held in Kaohsiung last year that was aired in a Chinese news report. It said “people can cast their votes at over 1,800 polling stations nationwide.”

The CA said Taiwan is not a country and the by-election was only held in Kaohsiung. RTHK later corrected the mistake online.

“It is a fact that Taiwan is not a country and hence the use of the term nationwide in the remark is inaccurate,” the CA said.

It added that RTHK should be “strongly advised” to observe more closely the Radio Programme Code.

In another case, the lyrics of a song broadcast in the programme World Discovery on Radio 1 in April 2021 contained a Cantonese foul word.

The CA said it constituted a clear breach of the Radio Programme Code, and warned RTHK to observe regulations more closely.