CABLE TV to Introduce Platform Relaunch
to Cope with Service Expansion

(Hong Kong, January 5, 2004) Hong Kong's leading Pay TV service operator, Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (CABLE TV), today announced that it would relaunch its programming platform at 6:00am, January 13 to better serve its subscribers.

CABLE TV's Executive Director, Cable Subscriptions Services, Mr Eric Lo, said the relaunch is to facilitate subscribers to more easily locate the type of programme channel they want and to allow room for future expansion of channels.

"The number of channels on our digital platform has more than doubled since we began digitisation and it has become increasingly difficult for viewers to find the channels that suit their programming taste as we continue to introduce more channels," he added.

The relaunch will group CABLE TV's 70-odd programme channels into eight blocks in accordance with their genres, with each genre being assigned a numbering block. The blocks are: Local News and Information (channels 01-09) Entertainment (channels 10-35), Movies (channels 40-48), Documentaries (channels 50-59), Sports (channels 60-69), International News (channels 70-79), Adults (channels 80-92) and two premium packages: Zee (channels 144-147) and International (channels 148-154). (see attached for details)

"The new channelling arrangement would enable viewers to identify different programme channels of the same genre much faster and thus surf among these channels more easily as they are grouped together," he added.

Describing the exercise as a major initiative to make CABLE TV's service more user friendly to subscribers, Mr Lo also said the existing electronic programme guide will be enhanced. In the first phase, subscribers will have access to a full list of all the channels when they press the "OK" button on the remote control unit. By scrolling to and pressing the "OK" button again, they can tune to the channel they choose. Alternatively, they can tune to Channel 99 after January 13 for a full channel list.

Further enhancement, including a programme guide for each programming block, will be introduced at a later stage, Mr Lo added.

"In designing the new platform, we have already allowed room for further expansion as it is our plan to provide well over 100 channels when we complete our digitisation programme, making our service the most comprehensive in Hong Kong," he added.

CABLE TV viewers who have queries about the changes are encouraged to watch announcements on screen or to contact our Customer Service hotline on 1832832 for details. They can also log on to CABLE TV's website: www.cabletv.com.hk for latest information.

About Hong Kong Cable Television Limited
Hong Kong Cable Television Limited (CABLE TV) is Hong Kong's leading pay television service provider. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of i-CABLE Communications Limited which is Hong Kong's leading fully integrated communications company that owns and operates one of the territory's two near universal telecommunications networks; provides pay television and broadband Internet access service, and creates its own multi-media content.