THD GORRDSPONITDNT Fel>nary,1994
to
I-ette':s
EdiÉor
ttre
THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS'
CLIJB
5
Extraordinary general meeting
2 Lower Àlbert Road, Hong Kong Telephone: 527 7577 Fax:868 4O92
Presldent
-
& \Zievzs
l\leszs
Philip Bowring
Ffust vlce Presldent
Seco¡d Vlce Pr$ident
-
Carl Goldstein Stuart Wolfendale
7 Journalism lecturel Tin-r Hamlert asks what the future holds for the next generation of Hong Kong-trained jout'nalists
Coúespondent Membe¡ Govefno¡:s Paul Bayfìeld, Daniela Deane. Sinìon Holberton, Brian Jeffries, V.G. Kulkami, Philippe Ie Cone, Paul Mooney, Hubert Van Es
frorrr
Yarns
FRipping
Journallst Member Gover¡.ors
FR-io
FCC member Robin Lynam takes a trip down the Amazon and
K.K. Chadha, Karl Wilson
Assoclate Membef GoYeroors Kevin Egm, David Garcia,
finds the blues
Saul Lockhart, Julie Meldrum
Professlonal Conmlttee Conæno r: Carl Goldstein Membe,s: JtrIie Meldrum, Philippe Le Cone, Paul Mooney, Paul Bayfield
a-4 afÌ '94
Flnance Conrlttee Siüon Holberton, Carl Goldstein V. G. Kulkami Membershlp Commltæe Conuenor:
FCC
sû52-le
Party time for the members and staff.
HthenYanEs
tÉre Panda
SÉrooting
Memberc:Y. G. Kulkami, Kevin Egan
'S7riter/photographer Davicl Tl-turston goes in search of
Errtertalfo.ent Crf irmltt€e Con ue flo r: Daniel^ D eane
a
rare bleed.
Memberc: David Garcia, Paul BaYfìeld,
Julie Meldrum
Publlcatlo¡s C-omnlttee Conmor: Saul I¡ckhart Memben: Hubert van Es, Paul MooneY, Paul BaYfìeld S¡mon Twiston Davies (Editor) F& B
23
iftre
lofrgest
rrrlle
A special report on frequent flyer programmes in Àsia.
Com0tttee
rutenor: Stuart Volfendale Memberc:David Garciâ, Simon Holberton V.G. Kulkarni, BrianJeffries, Philippe Ie Cone Co
26
a.iqtrts
I5zfitef's,
After human rights and women's rights, electronic rights are a problem of the 1990s The American Sociery ofJournalists and Authors and the Authors Guild present a position statement
WaIl Coññlttee Hubert Van Es
Ilre Corresportdent EDITORIALOFFTCB S¡mon Twiston Davies, Editor 2 Lower Alben Road, Hong Kong Telephone: 527 7577 Fu:868 4O92
@ 7994The Foreign ConesPondents' Club of Hong Kong Opinioß expressed bY writers in Tbe Cotespondent are not necessarily those of The Foreign Conespondens' Club. Tbe Cotresþondenf is published monthly by
INTERNATIONAL
IlDutctr letter
32
ifreats: A-rnsterdarrr frorrr
Peddaer's rrrade in
Journal: EBelgirrrrr
The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong. PRODUCTION
we're all the
FST Llûe Deslgfl &
Hnt¡tg
Fourth Floor,
158 lVellington Súeet, Centml, Hong Kong 'lel: 527 7993 Fax: 521 8366
Publlsher Ian Harling ¡¡¿¡ftçtlng Director Kaúe McGregor DTP Artlst Lee
-Joey
Cover photograph: I(ees Inside: Ray Cranboume, lvlark Graham, Hubert Van Es, Kees and David Thurston
February 19
T
Cut the Cackle!
To tbe
I was saddened to see that The Correspondent has now apparently adopted as its policy the cackling tone that emanates from the corner where the first wave of hirees for the Eastern Express gather in the evening.
Edùtor
Tfl TAKE GREAT PICTURES PRE$$ HERE.
The piece on the new paper (Correspondeøf, November) and its
Calling Card
is, and will remain, unchanged. It
I am surprised that in most of the recent English-language reporting
it
about the Soutb Cbina Moncing Posl,
and the Easlern Exþress, the journal-
ists concerned have jettisoned the basic professional rule offairness: get both sides of the story. This is true of
most of the reporting in the overseas press; only two correspondents have bothered to phone me to get a quote or to find out what is happening. It is also true of your article, "The New Paper Tigers" (Coresþondent, November). Had your reporler called me he
might have found that:
The management of the Posl was not dismayed at the prospect of
competition. Mostof us haveworked
in countries where competition is and the norm. 'Sü'e're used to it - is welcome it. The Postmanagement not dismayed at the prospect of losing some of its best operators. \Øe were always confident of keepand ing most of our best people - up we have. Post staff are not lining to leave. Many more have rejected offers from the new paper than have accepted them.
No matter what your reporter thinks about the "stagnant" state of the industry, the word does not apply to that part of it represented by the Post '!l'e have introduced a ruft of changes this year : a revamped review
section; a rcvamped business section
with increased regional coverage; a new Saturday current affairs section; a doubling of the general China coverage; and general design and presentation improvements, to name a few. There is no increased pressure to toe the Bejing line, The editorial line
must be a pretty good policy because
has been copied by the Eótstern
challenge to rJ'¡e Soutb Cbina Morning Post read from start to finish like (1) an attempt by the writer to settle a few scores with his former employer and (2) a bid to ingratiate himself with a
group of people that, one presumes,
Express.
will be putting freeiance money
If in future Tbe Comesþondent is reporting on the English-language press in Hong Kong, I'd appreciate a call. I'm in the office six days a week and my home number is listed. The fundamental unfairness is
way in the future. It is a long time since I have read an article that so gleefully passes off hearsay (some of it already denied by the Posl) as fact, while giving the Posl not one single opportunily to put forward its point of view. I have never subscribed to the theory held by some that the FCC is a vicious little gathering place for hasbeens and malcontents who begrudge the Post its success, but the article certainly had an unpleasantly cliquish tone to it. My'personal view- and I am not writing here as an employee of the Post is that it is the easiest thing in the -world to lure away a few disgluntled staff members with the offer of more money, but a different task altogether to dislodge the Poslfrom the position it has held all these years. If the Eastern
compounded in your December/January issue. In that issue you ran Derek Davies' last column lor 'Wincl.ow, sultmitted ro, but not published, by that magazine.
In the standfirst, you say that the Post was offered the column but rejected it, sight unseen, shortly after the changes in the Posl3 shareholders. The whole lot is run under the heading "Too hot for Window and the Post".
Had anyone fromyour magazine bothered to telephone me you would have discovered that after Derek of-
fered the column to the Post we
his
faxed him expressing an interest and asking him to send it to us. It now appears that lax must have gone astr ay. Certainly, communication with Derek broke down. It has since been restored: Derek wrote a).ong critique of Sir Percy Cradock's views in the Sunday Morning Post In December. Nothing happened to change Derek's views, or the Posl's willingness to print them, between September and December. For the record, readers anxious about freedom of the press in Hong Kong will find the Poslmore congenial reading than The Correspondent.
Express does that, I am prepared to buy the cacklers a drink. But, in the meantime, can the new editor of The Coruespondent please keep the cackling out of his news pages.
David Armstrong
to run a.n. ,tssessfti.ent of tbe Hong Kong Englisb-language mediø
Acting Editor-in-chief Soutb Cbina Morning Post
Peter Cordingley (Botb tbe aboue letters are noted, along witb otb er im.plic ations tb a.t b øue appeared. in tbe Sunday. Morning Post, conceru.ing the ind'epertdence
of, and reporting skills
in,
The
Correspondent. As euer, tue welcome sucb constructiue contributions . In tbe Marcb issue of tbe magazine we bope
uritten by Dauid. Armstrong,Ed.)
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_T
Contìnuedfrorn þøge 2
The lGmchi Connection In the November
1993 issue of
Tbe Correspond.ent, Ted Thomas says
that "doddering members of the FCC would want to know what happened to all those glamorons [Korean] war correspondents who thronged the old FCC main bar up on Conduit Road." At least two of the correspondents mentioned in Ted's letter are still with us John Dominis, Time -Life, who now :
lives in New York City, and Greg McGregor, TLte New York Times, retired in Pompano Beach, Fiorida. Both looking fit, John and Greg were among
the 50 writers, photographers and broadcasters who attended a reunion
of Korean -!l'ar correspondents in NØashington D.C., in JuIy 7993. Notes on a few others whom doddering members may recall: David Douglas Duncan, who now lives in France andwho helped popuIarize th:e Nikon camena while working for Life, vistted New York City in November 1993 to publicize his new book about a dog.
Marvin Stone, ,Il/S, now lives in Falls Church, Virginia, and manages an organrzation that sends experienced journalists to emelging democ-
racies
in Europe as consultants to
newspapers. Jack Casserly, 1¡/,S, Phoenix, Arizona, is writing a novel after publishing biographies on the Hearsts and E.\ùí. Scripps.
Ernie Hoberechf, United,
Press,
who runs an insurance business in his hometown,'W'atonga, Oklahoma. Gene Kramer still works for AP, now in -üØashington, I).C. John Sack, Ketchum, Idaho, became a magazine writer and author after leaving tlnüed Press and was recently interviewed on CBS's Slxly lr[inutes about his new book that describes howJews imprisoned Nazis in their own concentration camps after Germany's !Øodd \Øar
Dan Ktrzman,
II surrender.
rüØest
New York,
New Jersey, another war corespondent
turned author, is publishing his latest book in L994, ar account of the sinking of a U.S. navy ship on which the
five Sullivan brothers perished in
'Wodd
-üØar
readers, lives in Austin, Texas, and is
still publishing. On a freelance reporting assignment late in 7993, Roy Rowan of Greenwich, Connecticttt, Time-Life, took the train from Ho Chi Minh Ciry to Hanoi. Bob Pierpoinf, CBS, broadcast for years from \Øashington D.C. before retiring to Bodega Bay, CaIIlotnia, and sometimes lecturing on cruise
who needs no introduction to today's
Irving Levine, NBC, still broad-
casts for the network frotn \Øashington D,C.
Until recently, George Herman, CBg broadcast each Sunday on the U.S. Public Broadcasting SYStem from his home in Hancock, New Hampshire. Although he walks with difficulty, Howard Handieman, Zr/S, made it to -!ü'ar reunion from his the 1993 Korean Virginia. Mclean, home in As for me, I'm looking into new writing opportunities after retiring from United, Press International
in
1983
and from Cornell University News Service tn 7993. AI
IØff
Connecticut, USA
NCW FACCS At THE GORRESPOTUDDNT \øith this issue of Tbe a îew team be-
Correspondent
gins producing the magazine. Freelance writer Simon Twiston
Davies assumes the editor's chair from Kad'Wilson, while FST Line, pronounced "First Line", takes
Bayfield, has been workingon Tbe
Coresþondent
in various
caPaci-
ties since 7986, and as production editor since October 1992. PauI, however, will not be completelY lost to Tb e C orresP on de nt because, as an interested board member, he
over the production reins from
will remain on the
Asia Pacific Directories (APD).
Committee. Karl \Øilson became editor twoand-a-half years ago, following Ron Knowles. Karl's hard work is re-
Vonnie Boston and Mike Bishara, the publisher and managing director respectively of APD, have produced The Correspondent since the November 1990 issue. In that time, ad sales have continuously increased thanks to the efforts of APD's tenacious ad rep Kit
Myers who,
it should be noted,
signed up several clients for 7994 before her retirement. The newest APD team member, former FCC president, Paul
Publications
flected in the number and style of stories now covered regularlY in ihe magazine. Karl resigned from Th e C orre sp o n de nt after his app ointment as foreign editor of the East-
em Exþress. \Øe wish him luck in his new endeavour. Freelancer SimonTwiston Davies
is well know to readers of SoutLt Cbina Morning Post Publications,
À.4eeting of tkre FCC 'ñzas kreld Genera-l Arr E><traordirl:arsr of the contr.act on Ja-nLtar>a 18tkr. to discLrss tkre terrrrination of Gor.ernorsof tkre Cft-rl> rrl.araag,er 1>¡z tkre Board Coats reportsHoqzard
ships.
IL
James Michener, Reader's Dígest,
The case of Christoph Hoelzl
and of course, Tbe CorresPondent.
On the ploduction side, Katie McGregor and Ian Hading are the principals at FST Line, a small but energetic production house dating back to 1988 with its own adveftising sales team.
I have had the pleasure of working with Vonnie, Mike, Paul, Kit and Karl since their very first issue and on behalf of the Club, I would like to express mY thanks for all the work theY Put into making The Corres/ondent the excellent magazine it is today. And to the new team: welcome aboard. I look forward to working closely with you.
he short tenl-Ìre of Christoph Hoelzl as manager of the FCC was the subject of an extraordinary
Bowring said that the Board was anxious to give as much information as possible leading to the termination
general meeting of the Club attended
of Hoelzl's contract. However, for
by more than
legal reasons, he couldn't go into all the details. Bowring outlined a series of incidents, inclucling one in which Hoelzl offeled two employees of an airline limited membership of the Club and credit for food and beverages. He added that it was also alleged that, in retlrrn, four aidine tickets
100 members on
January 18th.
A group of rnembers had called
the meeting so the Board of Governors
could explain the circumstances of Hoelzl's dismissal, and to review hiring procedures, terms of employment and the job description of the post. The Club president, Philip Bowring, began the 75-minute meeting in the upstairs dining room with a lengthy
were to be raffled during a food promotion.
statement concerning the events leading to the termination of Hoelzl's contract, effective December 20th. Flanked by an ahnostfull complement of the Board, Bowring began by
emphasising that the Board was not obliged to account for individual decisions so long as theywere within the law-and conformed to the Club's articles of association. His contention that the Club was not going to be nrn on the basis of what he termed "Bar-side Referenda" at least as long as he had anYthing -to do with it- drew protests from the floor.
IT 19 OUR DUTY
TO UNÎAP THE FATHO/v\LE99
DEPTH5..,
This was viewed by the Board as contrary to Club rules and procedures which require the Board and its mem-
belship committee to deal s/ith
al1
membership issues. \Øhen queried by the Board, the manager claimed to have beenunable
to contact senior officers to
discuss
the matter. The senior officers were, in fact, in Hong Kong. Fufihermore, Hoelzl failed to bring the airline offer to the attention of the Board at a meeting trvo days after it was signed.
There were also concerns, on of certain incidents, with
accoLlnt
OF OUR AAEA\ÞER5/ ENTHUSIAS^^
& expenrrsE
regard to Hoelzl's good relationship with some senior members of staff. As a result of being dissatisfied with Hoelzl's explanations and, concerned about the staff issue, the Board
appointed a committee to look into the matter. A number of committee meetings were held, as result of which, two letters were written to Hoelzl. One rejected his explanations of the airline ticket arrangement and concluded Hoelzl had been in breach of the Club's rules and his terms of employment.
The other warned Hoelzl of the Board's concern and sought an indi-
cation that he was willing to work under much closer superwision. The committee then held another meeting with the manager. "The full Board then met on December 17rh and the overwhelming majority of members were in favour of terminating Mr Hoelzl's contract, " said Bowring. The decision was posted on
the Club noticeboard the following Monday, December 20th. Bowring later added that the final
payment to Hoelzl, including salary and leave owing, totalled 6492,000.
SELFLESSLY
TOfl-{€
I OFFÊR
iJli.ff.'.'u
A^Y UNIQUE SERVICE5...
tr-
O /tAVt
{ {
Saul Lockhart Convenor Publications Committee
v
ì f
February 7994
TÃÊ, coRRxsPo¡¡IrDilT
Club further unnecessafy expense," he said.
Kalb
slrg-
gested that consulting a labour tribunal instead of
a
lawyermight
havebeenamore
prudent action.
Bowring reBatry Kalb, spokesman for some of tbe petitioners makes his point
sponded that experienceshowed that consulting a
labour tribunal On hiring procedures, Bowring said that by the time the current Board
took office in May, the previous manager was about to take leave prior to the ending of his contract. Hoelzl was almost the sole remaining candidate.
An attempt was made to find additional candidates but time was too short for a thorough search. Even so, while four new candidates were interwiewed, following the appoint-
ment of a headhunter, Hoeizl was given the job.
Hoelzl's contract basically followed that of the previous manager, a gratuity at the with two changes end of three years'- service replacing an annual bonus, and some improve-
ment in the telms of accountability. "Flowever, the notice period was
allowed to remain at six months. It should have been three months. I regret this oversight and it will not happen again." Another problem was that the contract did not have a proba-
tionary clause. As far as a job description was concerned, copies were available for all to see. From the floor, Barry Kalb said the reason for calling the meeting was not to confront the Board. "\ü/e simply wanted an explanation and that explanation sounds quite
feasible to me. The point is that this club has a lot ol experience, especially in the food and beverage business, lawyers, executive search, and so on," he said. There would have been no need to pay the manager the equivalent of six months' salary f "good cause" was the rèason for his departure, said Kalb.
Kalb continued that hiring an ex-
ecutive search firm would cost $250,000. "Maybe we can save the
was ineffective at the uppen end of the labour market. "\Øe aren't talking of a
short-order cook here." Nevertheless, the Club had not been obliged to PaY for legal advice. Kalb proposed that the Board communicate frequently and fully with the Club membership when selecting the new mànager. It was also proposed that the Board should make use of the exPertise available through a speciai managerial selection sub-committee of not fewer than l-0 members.
Bowring noted that he had already said that the Board would involve non-Board members in the selection process. However, on a previ-
ous occasion, when this was attempted, it was found that those who offered help wanted to be paid for it. "Of course, we welcome free advice," he added. "But surelY a 10member committee would be too unwie1dy." Further debate included more criti-
cism of the Board's actions.
Compalisons were made with similar situations in other clubs and one view was that the debate represented a "stand-off' between the categories of membership. One member asked the Board to
consider calling a refet'endum on whether the existing staff should take over the running of the Club. Bowring concluded that there seemed to be a consensus for the inclusion of non-Board members on the selection committee and invited proposals from the members as to who should be on it. Meanwhile, the process of sealch for as wide a nange of candidates as possible wouid ploceed.
@
NEWS of the NEWS
W*""riïffi::ï:iî"ïff#; billion to its on foreign bfoadcasts
1.2
residents, a Hong Kong newsPaPer group has annottnced it intends to broadcast its own television news
channel via satellite
to the Middle
Kingdom. The 24-hour news operation, the Chinese Television Network will be launched by the CIM Co Ltd newspaper group at the end of this year on the Apstarl. satellite. The Putonghua-language, 24-hour
news serwice will probably have a liberal bias, since CIM Co Ltd's controlling shareholder is P.Y. Yu, the publisher of the Ming Pao newspaper, which is often openly critical of
The gatewa1rr to Grub Street HK -Iirrr
jor-lrnalisrrr
Ha-rrrlett,
Ba1>tist
e><arrrirÌes
College,
tkre v,7a). the
tertít<>tSr's ge
the Beijing government.
Errgliskr-langu
One of Ming Pao's reporters, Xi Yang, was arrested in China last September for spying and now faces a
a-re l>eirrg
tra-ined
a-fter L997
-
possible death sentence. Xi was charged with the offence of "stealing and espionage of state
l{ong
at tkre Hong
lectr-rrerr
a
j
)¿otrng
or-rrnalists
f<>r a- szodd
financial secrets", which included unpublished r^te changes for bank savings and loans of the People's Bank of China, and information on the bank's plans for international gold transactions.
According to Pao rü/an-lung, a veteran Hong Kong television news producer and the recently appointed head of CTN's news channel, the plan is to inform a rcgional Chinese audience "objectively", not only focussing on the mainland but also looking to Hong Kong, SingaPore and Taiwan for an audience. No final decision has been made as to whetherviewers will have to purchase a decoder box to watch the new station' "Of course, we anticipate occasional pressures on us from cefiain countries within our broadcast area," said Pao.
A nout ten years ago the sub¡¡ Ã editors oFthe Hortg Kong Stan d-
journalism".
all of whom had diplomas in journalism, usually from the Baptist College, And this remains one of the great divides in Hong Kong journalism. Chineselanguage newspapers expect a post-secondary qualification. Politics or translation are not spurned, but
This went round the table and produced avarieLy of odd stories. The
journalism.
ard, were gathered in someone's flat lopping a few column feet off his -booze supply when the subject
came up
of "how You got into
undoubtedstar of the eveningwas the gentleman who became interested in the printed word during a cÍearlve writing course af fhe Canadian prison where he was doing time for armed robbery. The one thing we alllnad in commonwas thatnone of us had enjoYed, or endured, any lrainingin journalism before our first job. This was in marked contrast to the situation of our reporters, neatly
usually the qualification is in EnglishJanguage newspapers are,
to put it politely, more eclectic. People have been hired with a variety of qualifications (some of which were barely relevant) and experience
some of which was completely
these handicaps he did well to fake
it as a down-table sub for four months. At various times in the business I worked with subs who had been English teachers, subs who had been
barmaids, and even subs who had including been inspectors of police - the force one gentleman who had left in some haste after a starring role in the Maclennan inquiry. My favourite success story on the reporting front was a lady who wrote
a letter to the Sund.ay Standard saying, in essence, "Your TV Movies
Some years ago the Soutb China
column is a load of crap". Having inserted the letter in the
MorningPosf actually hired one gentleman who seems to have been a con man. He could not spell and he could not write headlines. Under
ing in essence: "OK, smar[y pants, if you can do better come in and write it yourself."
fictitious.
appropriate coiumn I wrote back say-
February 1994
TAD, coRRf,sPol{DDllr
it u'as better' The happill' \\ent cln coltttnnist oreviotrs 'Lo six tnonths l¿rter and things ,tl'.'' full-time a had lob' the lacly AclnittedlY, things u''ere nevel' quite as freer'vheeling as this in Tong She did. Ancl
Chong Street' Meanu'hi1e, ovel the yeals, tl-ie al'rangements for itlch-tcting new t'eDorters to Engl islr-langLlagc rìess-
pap(r's
ha
ve
bcc
orne
lììore
elaborate. Both the established EnglishJanguage ne\\rspapers now have a fol'l¡al recruitment exercise in the sutnmel, follos.ecl by a properly planned tlaining,
proglanttne. There
is
ßut univelsities have to n-ork rvitl-l u.'hat they get.
And part of the ploblelr-r is in the Jor-rrnalisrn coLrrses. Tl-iese are all
tions these new recruits should have.
On tl-iis point there aLe u'aves of fashion: one year people fi'om overseas universities are t1're favoured flathen it is foreignels, then voLlr thele is an experiment with English journalism clegrees. tìlen the local (ollìe bacl( lor a u'lrile. and p,'odr-'.tt so it goes on' THIS IS ODD. Hong I(ong has for-tr
institlttions offeling post secondary c¡alifitations irt iottrnrlisnl: Chinese Unlrersiq'. Brptist Collegc' Clltr Hai
and Sl-rue Yan. Belween them they tr-trn ont about J00 gladuates aYe^r. Most of these gladuates are sLlpposed to be bi-1ingual. Even though ã.'"tlot-t. seems to get a job, very fer'of them find theil. w-ay into the English-language media. Clear'1y the journalisn-i p1'ogrammes are not )'et get-
ting it quite rigl'rt'
Yet rnost of these pt'oglarnnres have
alu'ays clone sorne things very well.
Their gladuates are keen; interested in events and devoted to the orolession. Tlrel can tal<e antl tlei elop pictrrl'es. lay out and paste pag'es. and in some cases, n-rite headlines.
The glacl-rates arc also familiarn'ith tl're whole range of tl-ieories about iour'-
nalisnr, fi'om tl'ie French ones alleging the u.hole thing is a capitalist conspiracy. to the Amel'ican ones tlncler nhiclr iotr catl n'l'ite cornplete lictìon abor-rt public figures as long as.volÌ are not motivatecl bY actual malice In the Past, hon'ever, theY cor-rld not r'vlite goocl English It rvolrlcl be easy to blame tl'ris on
Hong Kong schools, vvhich do not hllge numbers of people u-ith
ganised all the repolting ancl u-riting subjects in a nelr¡ seqLrence q.hich reflects tl're degree of clifficulty fol a non-natir¡e n-liter, r''¿thel than the LrsLlal jor-rlnalistic career path fi'on-r reporter,
rnodelled on Amer-ican ones rl-hicl-r
to
assllûre that tl-re str-rclents taking them are natir.'e speakers.
eclitorialist.
'fhe approach works quite n,ell if tl-ie rl.hole proceedings are translated into Cl-rinese :rnd ploch-rce reporters to
nolk in thrt langrrrge. But it doesn't u-ork so n'ell if language itself is a major problem. At some point in the usual hustle
still no agree-
-à,rt. tltougll. abolrt the qtraliiicr-
tLu'n olrt
vely good English.
'Iheir gSrzrc1r-ra-tes are keen; interestecl ir-r e\zerìts ¿rr-rcl de\zc)tecl to tl-re Tl-re;z 1>rofession. can take a-r-rcl clerzelol> 1>ictr,Lres;, la¡z or-rt ¿lncl paste pa-5les, arrcl in sorrìe czases, xzrite l-reacllines;-
featr-rre v.r'iter',
to editor,
to
per,
a
lish subjects are treated as a sort of bolton appendage to a basically Chinese
exercise, and if the teachers of the English subjects are themselr¡es not
completely conìpetent in the language. The course in English Journalism ll.-hich w-e nou- offer at Baptist College
represents an attempt
to soh'e a1l
these problems ancl provide graduates
u-ith the sort of English skills n'hich iocal ernployers expect. Students have to denonstrate a goocl level of English ability before tl-rey enter the conrse, and langr,rage
skills have a higher plofile
M Y
- range of suppol'ting sLrl)n'icle
NÍkon
jects, ancl excellent facilities for ploclnction u'ork. IT IS NOT'fol ne to say n'hether these effolts have yet con'rplete1y succeeded, but thev have celtainly prochrced an improlement. \üitl-r plentl of thoughtful guiclance, along with some occasionaliy
irrascible prorlpting, many of oul slnclents can nos' wlite excellent stories in decent English. All this does not imply any'obliga-
tion fol
ernplo_vels. Nobody has a liglrt to a job in journalisrn. t\Ieann-hi1e, a course w1-iich is n'olking w-ell gets a1l tl-ie advertising it neecls from its orvn gradlÌates T1-re question u'hich alu'a).s arises at this point is 1'ror¡' long all this can
last.
'fhe plospect of becoming part of China, even ri.'ith a "l'righ cleglee of alltonomy", does not inspire confidence in the lutule of jottlnalism as u.'e know it. So far there is no sign that this is
tl-u'ough "Neqrsn'riting'', "Reporting", "Featr-rle \Ør'iting" and so on, the basic there are ploblems are left behind - and tl-ie other things on the syllabus basir's '¿rc neVeI seen again. Fruthel problems alise if the Eng-
#
\Øe still har-e the assets nùich have tlzrclitionalll' sr-rppolted the a 1il'e1y stuclent ne\À-spacolÌrse
putting people off. \{¡e still get more qualiiied rpplicants tllen n e can inten'ies,', let alone adn-iit.
.rG!
= tm tlEr
¡i
THEY ARE INTELLIGENT, enthu-
theyknow things may get difficult. Hong Kong has no shortage of young people who ale n'illing to walk into a clangerons situation u'ith their eyes open besiastic ancl determined. And
cause they like a cl-rallenge.
Since the problerlratic future of our plofession is widely knolvn, it seems that all ottr stuclents har.e one basic qualification: tliey are nol easily cliscouraged. I clo not knou'- whethel freeclom
I{E\rySMAKER Whcre history is madc, as it is being made, the Nikon F4 toils.IJnfailingly, tirelessly. The F4. Good news for pros everywhere.
ple.ss t'ill sut-vi'u'e in Hong Kong. I only knov" tl-rat it r,r.ill not clie from a shortage of yor-rng fepoftefs cletermined to $'rite the trnth.
of the
thror-rghout.
In recent changes, u'e have or-
L5rltrg Sole Aqent. Shrrro (H K ) Ltd
,
2/F Hutch¡son House, Central, Hong Kong Tel: 524 5O3l
,f!,
\ 4,
t.
ã Ë
t¿iÕk tl-re 'ltrrls¿
f-l
i*¡lrt
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l'
tc>
thrÈe- otfrêr F.-CC errl>ers; ¿lr-rc-l <--ar-rie<-l <>¡r r-rp tlfç iAr¡r¿rz<>n- L¡znzrrn .'r:éç><>rts; c)rì l-r<>q,, the jr-rn54le jr-ri<--es; }<e¡>t fl < >tv i rr¡3 -
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Ripping Yarns from Rio ong Kong travel writers had been talking about this trip for a long, long time.
After all, the opportunity to fly to
South America at somebody else's
On the bus to the hotel
treated us to an extended monologue
composed largely of his life story which lasted the entire way from the ahpotlt to the hotel. By the time we
expense doesn't arise every day, and FCC member Steve Shellum who was organising the event for Varig, the Brazilian national carrier, had a substantial list of volunteers from which to select his fellow travellers. As it turned out, the club was well
arrived at the Meridien on C opacabana beach it was aheady apparent that this man was going to be a problem. Indeed, much of our time in Rio
l'...:-t.t
,..l,''
.l
was devoted to devising means of escape from'W'erner and an itinerary
dominated by interminable visits to shops owned by the sponsors of the tour. \Øerner did, however, supply us with a rich seam of comedy which some of the party took a particular pleasure in mining. The evening of the first day was given over to a formal dinner at the hotel and by úe end of it jet lag had hit everyone except, lhat is, the irrepressible Ehdich.
represented in the touring party. Mark Graham, Paul Ehrlich and I went along for the ride and quite
a ride it was. Kai Tak- to Rio de Janeiro, via Bangkok, Johannesburg and Sao Paulo, takes the thick end of 27 hours. IùØe staggered off the plane in Rio
to be greeted by a gloriously sunny Sunday morning and by \ú¡erner our tour guide from hell.
rùØerner
There were some clubs
FCC leam
at V'trig
ar<>und
s the corner which he thought looked interesling and, he insisted, we must õ ò pop out for jtrst <>ne .small nightcap. We'd be back in half an h<>ur.
s ç)
ò
ù
ì
Contùwed on pøge 12 Felrftrary 1994 fiE, cmnxsPotttEtl
The Sr'vire
Plaza was like stepping back into
worked to our advantage when we got to Iguassu. Nobody from overseas, apparently not even someone who has seen the cascading Niagara orVictoria Falls, couldbe quite preparedfor.the Iguassu all250 of them. Falls
ù ñ
work
aç
done in Rio.
"You call a Caioca as the people of Rio ¿¡s k¡e¡Ã/¡ ¿¡ 10.30am," said our new friend,- "and he hasn't arrived in the office. You call
him again at 11.30 and he's gone to lunch. Try at 3.30, he's still at lunch.
to Europe and the Middle East.
Asia. Rain literally put a damper on a number of plans, but the bad weather
The next stop after Iguassu was è Manaus, halfway up the Amazon. From ñ O) there you take a boat to a tree-top
According to a girl we later met in
Group
Maybe thanks to that, the Paulistas and Cariocas cordially dislike each other. Sao Paulo has a large Japanese community and our hotel , the Maksoud
around.
Sao Paulo, very little
Airline
concern itself mostly with recreation.
- days of rain had dramatiThree cally sq/ollen the river and we were treated to the awesome spectacle of an angry Mother Nature when she has finally decided to stop kidding
Beauty on Copacabana Beacb
Cathay Pacific. The Fresh
Sao Paulo is an altogether more serious city than Rio, which seems to
Contínuedfromþage 10 The sun was rising as we poured ourselves back into the hotel for that essential two hours sleep before taking the tram to the famous Christo Redentor statue. On the ride up the hill, as we gazed hollow-eyed into the mist, the redoubtable \Øerner regaled us with the etiquette involved in bribing a Brazilian policeman. Rio deJaneiro exudes an extraordinary energy, although since the party generally starts at midnight and continues until dawn it's difficult to see how anybody ever gets any work done.
hotel in the jungle for a spot of
undemanding eco-tourism. So it was that our Indian guide tookus fishing when everybodymanaged to cafch at least one pitanha, which our ecologically-aware escort then returned to the river. As we prepared to check out of the hotel a small string band assembled on the patio arca overlooking the river. A couple of us on the trip like to pick the strings a bit, and none of us had
Luxury liþ in
Tbe
jungle
a guitar for a fortnight. The jaunt up the Amazon by the FCC ended with our team and the locals jamming the blues. At this stage the party splintered. Some of us headed back to Sao
been able to touch
Paulo or Hong Kong, while Steve Shellum and Paul Ehilich returned to Rio. They checked into their hotel,
From 1st March
wandered nonchalantly into the street and were almost strangled and -very professionally rolled. I suppose it had to happen to somebody. Everyone should go to Rio, but they should also tread carefully.
Cathay
Pacif
1994,
ic flights
to Europe and the Middle East will be non-smoking.
'rce
That means you can now fly
Try at 4.30 and he's gone home early."
the Fresh Airline to
To talk of enormous wealth in close proximity to great povefiy is, of
London,
Manchester, Paris, Frankfurt,
course, a cliché in a South American context. But you can't miss the street
Zürich, Rome, Amsterdam,
children and the sharp contrast between the poor areas of the city and
Bahrain and Dubai. In addition
the glitz of Copacabana or Ipanema is
to all our other
painftrlly obvious. So it's not sllrprising that any vi.sitor to Rio receives so lltany warnings not to carry úaluables or walk clown the street alone. But it's clifficult to know whether tl-re feeling of clanger that never quite leaves you is basecl
on obselvati<>n
flights to and from North America,
Australia, New Zealand
throughout South East Asia. Just one more way we're helping all our passengers arrive in better shape.
+ CJ
s I Irynam iants lhe blttes ott îhe Atnctzott
4 .CATHAYPACIFIC Arrive in better shape.
lf,E
and
c>r irnagina-
tion. Certainly, <>ur time in the city wAS s() entirely fì'ee <¡f inciclent that we were eventually lullecl into a sense of security that was alrn<>st certainly tìrlse. In the meantillte, we w'ere ofT tct Sao Paul<>.
non-smoking
CoRRfSP0l{DEilr Fcl)ru¿rry 1994
Pictures by Huberl Van Es
Felrlrrary 1994 laE coRarsPoยกfDElll
i' \
ilt
cm¡¡¡DOfiDIIlI February 1994
*-es*
fh_
\,
Febnrary 1994
lta
G
¡l0tlDltlf
Piclures by Kees
f1___11_-/-7
Ll-r-r.\
trLltr THERE'S ALWAYS
A STORYAT THE
HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
å
s ù
nor an FCC rrip but it might just as well have been. For five clays in October, Tony Clifton (Newsweek),David Thursron (SCMP Magazine),KarenMalmstrorn and Erling Hoh (freelancers), John Resnick andJan Davis (Tnte-toLife Books), Bruce McDonald (Reutets W, Manlla), Carrie Gracie (BBC, Berjing) and Marcus Jebsen (Jebsen, I{K) Nancy was instrttmental in setting up visited'!?olong Nature Reserwe in Sichuan, China in a group led by Nancy Nash. '!Øorld \X¡ildlife Fund. the with 1980s in conjunction in early giant panda research station the the
f I
t
*ur
TREMIS
A.S.
|IAW
FLEET ANCADE
NEWADDRESS: 2-SWATSONRD.
BLOCKA,ROOM
501, SEAVIEW ESTATE,
Formerly known as the U.S. Navy Sales-
NORTH POINT, HONGKONG.
room at the China Fleet Club, the Fleet Arcade is now located at Fenwick Pier.
TEL: 503 3082
Club members should already have their
Ihe Hong Kong Trode Development Council con help you rnoke business heodlines every doy of the yeor, As 0 mqjor force in world trode you'll find we've olwoys got o good story to tellr no podding, no puff ond bocked by occurqte, uploìhe-moment figures ond stotistics, Nexttime you receive one of our press releCIses, give it o good once-over, You'll soon see whoi we meon, 0r contoct us if you need deioils on ony ospect of Hong Kong trode
A full range of high quality merchandise is maintained for authorised patrons, such as members of the FCC. 1994 Pass.
FAX: 512 2952
3óó-0594
FCC MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS
.
Voncouver Jeff Domonsky Tel: ó85-0883 .Vienno Johonnes Neumonn Telr 533-98ì8
.
Worsow Slowomir lvlojmon
lelr
49ó 081
.
Zurich Wolfer G, Pielken Ïel: 281-3155
Hong Kong Trade Development Council We Creote Oppodunilies
Heod Office: 38lh Floor, Office Tower, ConvenÌion Plozo,
February 1994
1
Horbour Rood, Wonchoi, Hong Kong, Tel: (852) 584 4333 Fox: (852) 8240249
å
s€qpsp
Stel>l-ren ÀzlcSkrane presents Frecar-rent Fl¡zer Prograrnarles
Which one
?
fter years of cocking a snook at the concept of frequent flier programmes, tough times have now forced most Asian airlines to adopt the concept andtoday virtually every Asian flag-carrier is offering some sort
of reward to its most frequent and loyal customers. Of course, despite the fancy names
and titles, frequent flier programmes (FFPs) are really little more rhan a form of discounting. But instead of dropping, say,25 British Airways is now a palticipating airline in
llights to and from London, but on any British Airways
Please send nrc an
e¡rolment ltorm
For Passagcs
Nenre Passages, Äsia's
It
connecting flights to Europe, ,\merica or anywhere else
Club World, Club Europe
in the world. For nore inFormation and a Passages
Prcmier Frequent Flyer Programme
means British Airways First,
and Concorde passengers
will l¡e
able to accrue and
redeenr free kilometers, not only on British
enrolment form, pleasc complete and return the coupon. Now docsn't that nake you Feel snriles bettet?
BnrrrsHAlnwnvs Theworld's favourite airltne.
^/
Addre*
If
you are
, Ori,irtt-,fir*ri, 1""."'i". Cfr¡ M..U., pt""*
irrdicare your numbcr here
Se¡d ro Bri¡ish Airways Exccurive Club, 5/F Hollywood Comnrcrcial Centre,3-5 OId Bailcy Srrect, Ccntral, Hong Kong Fax, (852) 524 5040
tu
of an orzenzieqz for 7-Vz e <:o rresP
high-spending frequent fliers are the major international hotel chains who correcf surmise that frequent fliers are also frequent users of hotels.
Erzen tkre slick cop)z adrzertising tkre prornoting rzarior-rs f>t:<>g,farna-nes as as sli1>tr>er-t <>r1 as a specifics greased eel on ice-
Asian <> rz cl e rz t-
leaving the ground. Hotel bills, rental cars and even meals paid for by a credit card can now be used to build mileage points. The big thing everyone wants to know is: who offers the best Programmes?
Unfortunately, it's an impossible question to answer, simply because there are too many variables. -ùØhat's best
for you depends on
where you live, how often you fly, where you're likely to be traveiling to, how often you go there, and what sort
offer of a free flight. Yet they will only hand ovel that
In turn, the big hotel chains have
of seat you most frequently book. The specific details concerning how you sign up and the potential benefits you will receive are often more complex than the operations manual for a nuclear missile. Indeed, the nurnber of hidden or invisible
pulled in the major credit card
tleasured ticket if you lock yourself into thei¡ airline for a number of journeys.
companies. Thus, it is nowpossible to accumulate an implessive number of
clauses, along with all the exclusions and exceptions make a sky-diver's life insurance policy seem reasonable by
air mileage points without even
comparison.
per cent from the price of a single ticket for a regular customer, the airlines spread the disguised discount over
a
number of trips by dangling the
Also joining the frenziecl fray for
February 1994 TÃE coRRxsPoNDDI{T
Even the slick ad-
such as Christmas, Easter, or Chinese New Year. Even so, many programmes throw in a host of extras, such as PriorirY
check-in selice, use of first class lounges and upgrading according to
vertising copy pfo- seat availabiliry. These perks may be moting the of dubious value, however, as most pro- business class fliers enjoy such privivaf 10us grammes is as leges any'way. slippery
on
specifics as a greased
eel on ice. Thus, when considering any FFP the main thing is
Ío read the fine print. Carefully. Many programmes are only of use business class travellers, such as the Passages programme from Carhay Pacific, Malaysia Aiilines System and Singapore Aidines. Others are only avatlable to residents of the carrier's home country or those who have a mailing address there (China Airlines' Dynasty Flyer,
to first or
Philippine Airlines' PALSmiles and Korean Air's FTBS). Making malters still more complicated, the programmes for some carriers, such asfhat of Japanese ANA, are only open to travellers who are not residents of the airline's home country. (Pay a fee, however, and you too
can join ANA's programme, even if you do live in Japan.) Most programmes ask for no initial joining fee, although Qantas asks US$20 and Garuda US$170.
To make life more difficult, none of the aidinesallowtickets earned from frequent flier programmes to be
used during holi-
day
periods
So,
while it's impossible to pinpoint
which frequent flier programme is best
for you, we can tell you which are curentþ the most popular, and which are probably the best options according
to your norrnal
lavel ganem
-fkre corrrl>ination <>f <aa¡ttasr, Ma"LaSrsia arlca Singal>or.e ç>r <->l> al->l¡z offers a-rr unl>eatal:Le netxzork regiona-l Passages
Specifically launched by CathaY Pacific to claw back the passengers it lost to US-based carriers, Passages
current 150,000-plus membershiP makes it the most popular FFP in Asia. Cathay claims it will double its size in the next year. For Hong Kong-based business and first class travellers, the combination of Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Aitlines and Singapore Airlines prob-
increased by the recent addition of Swissair, British Airways and Austrian Aidines which add a continental European element.
Like most major FFPs, Passages has linked up with both major credit Express,
card companies
-American PreferredVisa or Mastercard, Citibank and major hotel chains such as -Hyatt, Hilton, Shangri-La and Pan Pacific, so that charges made to those hotels using
Preferred Mastercard
those cards earnyou airmileage points
towards free tickets. It is also likely that car rental fees and even long-distance telephone calls
will soon be added to the list of charged expenses which can be added to your mileage tallY. Remember that the blackout periods when tickets earned from FFPs
cannot be used include Christmas, Chinese New Year and other peak holiday periods. Mileage Plus
United Alrlines
If most of- your travel is trans-
Paclhc, with a host of destinations in North America, United's Mileage Plus economy as FFP offers all comers
- class passenwell as business and first gers- agooddeal.
hotels, and car rental sPecialists Budget and National.
And the others For travelers whose annual triPs
are to destinations down under, Qantas'FFP is one of the fewto accept mileage earned on domestic flights and with Australia's vast size, the points can add up quicklY if You not
oniy fly to and from Australia but criss-cross the country several times on each trip, Likervise there are manY other individual aidines such as Asiana, Alitalia, Delta, Korean Air and Thai,
Checþ in and checþ out tbe deals
which offer their own FFPs. For most, mernbership is free ancl if you need to fly their routes anywayr there's no harm in joining.
others, miles. ground zero.
yotl start from
In air'line industry terms this is a lot more than even the average ram-
bling Hong Kong resident might
IIow soon can I collect? Everyone wants to know how
Most carriers grant business class and first ciass fliers at least fifty percent over and sometimes even dottble
quickly a free ticket can be earned once they've joined a freqtlent flier programme. Again, due to the comPlexities of the various programlnes it's a tough one to gauge. As an inducement to join their FFPs, some air'lines will automatically give you perhaps 5,000
.SØith
the mileage points tìrey give
an
¡þ¿¡ ms¿¡5 economy class travelle¡ on a 4,000 mile flight,-the business class traveller will be awarded 6,000 miles and the filst class passenger will earn 8,000 miles.
Remember: the secret to the FFPs
imagine: between ñvelve and twentY is, well long-haul flights a yeat -tl:rat rniles annuallY. 100,000 over In general ternls, an economy class traveller has to travel around the world, or take at least tvvo trips to New York, before he earns enough mileage points for a fi'ee flight from Hong Kong to somewhere in East OtL
t-{t!g
is the word frequent.
Long haul distances, say Hong Kong to New York, mean travellers, can pile up mileage points pretry fast.
United's pafiners in the aft include Air France, Alitalia, SAS, KLM and Honolulu-based Aloha Air. On the ground, the United team includes
The Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental,
ably offers an unbeatable regional network. The
Kempinski, Sheraton and'\Øestin hotel groups, as well as the Hertz and National car rental agencies.
advantages of Passages have been
Once again potential members should be beware of the so-called black-out periods which, with United, include not only the usual Hong Kong holidays of Christmas and Chinese New Year, but also the American
holiday seasons of Thanksgiving,
Easter and several peak summer holiday weeks.
Northwest VoddPerks - Plus, \X/oddPerks Like Mileage
will be useful mainly to
those shuttling regulady between Hong Kong and NorthAmericà,via Tokyo or
Se
oul. Northwest's European part-
ner is KLM along with the l{yatt, lflestin, Radisson and Marriott
The "Charge" of the ftight brigade f n effon to Droaoen lner Dase loyal ctrstomers, most ai¡lines I oi ^.r have pulled in the big hotel chains as part
of their fi'equent flier programmes. The hotel chairu, in turn, have dragged in all the dominant credit card companies. Viltually all the major hotel groups in Asia including Hyatt International, Hilton, Intercontinental, Pan Pacific and Shangri-la International are now hooked Lrp to membershiP mileage programmes in conjunction with the leading credit card companies such as
American Express, Citibank Visa, Diners Club and JCB. In theory this sounds iike a good ideafor all concerned: the airlines, the hotels, the credit card companies and the public at large; people who fly a lot, sleep in hotels a lot; andmosttravellers
who pay for airlines, hotels and other large purchases by credit card. Fol the hotels it seems a naÍtral
development and for the upper middle class Hong Kong conslrmer
flown. \Øhat's more, vifiuallY everY time you Lrse your cat'd on anything
it's no great credit cards access -to an FFP. harm to have^nryay For those who clon't fly that mtich, but still insist on joiníng a frequent flier programme, access through your credit cald is the way to do it. However', while there is no charge for l)iners Club or a Hongkong Bank
your collection of mileage points.
who probably has a wallet full-of
card, American Express charges US $ 1 5 to join an FFP, Citibank charges US$30 andJCB charges US$95.
(Most credit cat'd companies will drop the joining fee, however, if they can see you are a regular user of their' carcl),
The main advantage to a nonfrequent flier under this scheme is that when you do fly, and use a credit card
to pay for the ticket, the aidines will usually double the actuai mileage
else, the value of the item is added to For example, if you ttse a Citibank
card you earfl a kilornetre towards your "frequent flier" mileage for every American dollal spent using that piece
of plastic.
A point to note: there are time limits which exist undel these schemes. Again, read the fine print. Carefully.
One more wrinkle:
if you don't
assemble enough points within a certain period, those thatyou have earned ale useless unless you go on a lastminute buying spree to meet the minimum needed to get your free ticket. So using your credit card, buY a
car you don't need, and get a free ti.cket
to Shengyang!
\(/ow, what a deall
FeblLrary 7994 TÃE
GoRRXSDOITIIENT
@
Since the electronic age has become afr irreversible fact, encompassing the work of almost all professional journalists, the freelance media has never l¡een more r¡ulnerable to the predations of unscrupulous publishers.
While Hong Kong and much of the rest of Asia have embraced electronic publishing via computers, modems, CD-ROMs and databases, tfris part of the wodd has done little to tackle the irnplications of electronic copyríght. Indeed, malry Asian publishers and producers in the new media would laugh at such a concept.
The New York-based The Authors Guild and The American Society Journalists and Authors (ASJA) have recently produced a set of
u/Èa.
N{,
Meanwhile, in the United States, where the rights of the individual are normally taken more seriously than anywhere else, some new thinking has at least outlined the problems and suggested a few answefs.
l1\a of
guidelines regarding electronic publishing by following a format that publishers and writers have found useful in the past.
While all of the suggestions below may not be practical in an Asian context, the vast rnajotity seem eminently sensíble.
'Writers'Rights riters today rnr,rst take a strong stand to prevent the erosion of their traditional rights in the new-era of electronic publishing. Some publishers irave routinely asked writers lo sign all a\\'ay rl'ithout compensation - electronic use of the work- they lights to have created. Incleed, many have sought the right
The optirnal position for wr-iters is to retain full electlonic rights, thus protecting tl-reil creative investment and retain-
ing the ability to control lts future use cornpletely,
If a writer
q¡ macle available in many fs¡m5 - on databases, as CD-ROM discs, and CD-Intelactir''e (CDl) cliscs, among others. Nell. tecl-inologies make it easy to combine r.olks of jor,rrnalisrn, litelatLlre, alt, pl-iotoglaphy, music, and film and vicleo ir multimedia and interacti\.e formats. Publishers' costs for makirg a n'ork ar.ailable in electronic formats are farlowerthan foltraclitional publishing. THE CoRRDSPoITIDENT
to
se1l
essential:
H [J
to make a nritels' q.'ork available in '$f'rit"any medium yet to be inr.ented." ers and theil professional organisations must resist this attempt to seize cleators' rights, Publishing technology is cl'ranging fast, ancl a writer's u..ork can noq,'be
instead decides
electronic rights, tfiree conditions are
H
Fai'compensation on the traditional advance and royaþ basis, that is, payment pef Llse or sale. '$øhen rights are licensed from another pafty, sr-tch as tl-ie print publisl-rer, the writer shoulcl be compensated by the licensol on the traditional basis of a litelary agent's commisslon, with the writel receiving 85 - 90 percent. No use of a work should be made without the wliter's apploval of medium, fonrrat, and content.
THE AUTHORS GUILD and
tl-re
American Society of Journaliss and Authors therefore recolrìrnend the follow' ing basic plinciples be consistently applied: \(/ritels should control the disposition c¡f the electronic publishing rigl'tts to
Febfuarv 1994
theirworks. Electronic publishing is likely to undérgo a series of rapid and radical transformations. To respond to these changes, writers should carefully control the ciisposition of their electlonic rights. 'ü/riters should sÍi\€ to letain all of their electronic rights ancl negotiate to secnre those rights up front, u,hen they negotiate their advance.
The sinplest way for Þ'riters to control their electronic rights is to retain those rights. '!Øriters are then free to evaluate specific electronic publishing opportunities that adse. \X/riters should bear in mind that
electronic rights ale valuable and should only be given up in exchange for substantial additional cornpensation. By negotiatìng for tl-rese rights, befole the publisher preparcs the first draft of a contract, writers will retain the credible th¡eat of taking the u-or-k elsen'herc, maintaining rnzrximum levetage in attempting to secllre his or her rights. N7ritels unable to retain theil electlonic rÌghts should negotiate for the following safeguards in the glant of those rights: ContÍnued on pøge 28
Welcome to Club Reward, a new scheme that
offers a variety of impressive gifts and benefits to
3J:;:ï:1,ïi
;ï:J.;iff;i å lïÏffi"iJ::
have come to expect.
crystalware to exotic holidays. You can also choose to waive your annual membership fee. Or, if you prefer,
rD
J
convert your Club Beward Points to WorldPerks@ frequent flyer miles and fly free with Northwest Airlines and KLM Boyal Dutch Airlines. And, because there's no time limit on using
As you get one Point for every dollar you
your Points, you can exchange them for gifts or
spend with the Card, you'll soon have enough Points
=
to claim your choice of free gifts from Club Reward. It offers you a wide range of selected free gifts fine items from high-tech audio systems and select
For more information, please call our Customer Service Hotline at 860 f 888 anytime, day or night.
privileges however and whenever you wish.
r calate significantly affer relatively few sales, since nearly ali electronic publishing costs are incurred in producing
Contínøedfrompøge 26
print publisher publisher
Tlre
electronic
as
Allow the print publisher to issue the
work in electlonic form only on the condition thattemrs be negotiated imme-
diately prior to electronic publication. \ü/riters should not be expected to negotiate terms for electronic publication when they srgn a print publishing contract. The
value of those rights, and the entire electronic publishing industry, are likely to change radically in the near'future.
print publisher rights licensor
The
as
electronic
Divide the proceeds of the licensing of electronic righre to reflect the print publisher's role as agent for the sale of those rights. Publishers have found acceptable a 90/10 split in favour of the writer fol the licensing of electromc rights rVriters with agents traditionally re.
tain subsidiary rights such as fiLn rights that involve the h'ansformation of the work into a new medium. \X4-rere publishers are granted such rights, publìshing contracts usually provide the publisher with an agent's percentage for selling those rights. Many electronic formats will be mol.e like films than books, with producers pulling together audio, visual, computer
programming and text components to create the electronic product. \ùlriters are entitled to 85-90 per cent
of the proceeds from the licensing of electronic rights, with publishers retainingthe usual agent's fee of 10 - 1 5 per cent. Retain the right of approval over all electronic licenses . 'üØriters should be able to insist that the electron-ic work be equal in quality (including the packaging, marketing, and advertising) to that of the
printed work. The reputation and standards of electronic publishers vary as greatly as in print
publrshrng. Only by retaining a right of approval can wjters monitor the quality of the electronic work.
The print publisher as electronic
publisher or licensor Grant electronic rights only on an advance and royalty basis. Electronic books are books w'iters should insist on royalties for- electronic "sales" of the wolk, including an access fee
lor works on database services. The royalty percentage should esTEE C0RRDSPoI|I¡ENT
the first electronic copy of a work. Compared to printed books, duplication, storage, and transpofiation costs for electlonic works are minimal. Grant the right to issue electronic versions of the work only in specified, existing formats, preferably on a nonexciusive basis. Granting the right to issue the work in all electronic formats now existing or to be developed in the future is granting too much. Existing and future formats have the potential to underminç the integrity and value of the work. Until the electronic publishing market matures, writers should be wary of granting exclusive rights to any publisher for any format. Many companies and formats will fail to penetrate the developing electronic market. Retain control over any abridge-
ment or anthologising of the work and over any illustrations, sound, text, or compLrterised effects added to the
work. \Writers' reputations ride on
In elecLron ic f<>rrrl.ats tkre line l>ooks l>etqzeen and periodicals <:e..Í). be l>lurred 1>¡z a, fexz ke¡zstrokes their published works. If an electronic pubiisher seeks to do anything more than a dilect transposition of the printed work, then the writer should have a right ofapproval over the form and context of the electronic work. Retaining control over the illustrations, sound, text, and computerised effects added to a work, if writers carefully exercise that control, could help avoid legal conflicts with other subsidiary rights. Electronic publishers should give reasonable assurance that the work will not be copied without authorisation. 'Without copy protection, fast, cheap, and pefect electronic duplication could severely damage the value of a work. Licensees should be required to prominently display copyrightwamings and to
Februarv 1994
use the best available nleans to prevent
unauthorised copying. Unexploited electlonic nghts should reveft to the writer. The principal value of a work could be in its electronic licencing. If after a specified period of tirne a publisherfails to exploitthe rights in any of the electronic fomats granted
to the publisher, the rights to
the
unexploited formats should revelt to the writer.
Electronic publisher of periodical articles Grant periodical publishers the right to republish an article electronically only
in the same form and context as the original afiicle. This grant should be nonexclusive, In elecffonic formats the line between books and periodicals can be blured by a few keystrokes. To ensure that the grant of electronic serial nghts does not effiectivelybecome
the grant of electronic book nghts (allowing, for exarnple, a publisher to issue an electronic anthology of a writer's work or a special edition of articles on a single subject), the electronic rights granted a periodical should only extend to the periodical fonnat, in exactly the fonn that the article originally appeared. Insist that periodical publishers pay anadditlonalfee atthe time of electronic republiòation, following traditional industry practice with syndication. That fee shouldbe anadvanceplus a royalty. Just as a publisher would pay a writer if
bear no legal responsibility for the
content of these additional
suggest the foliowing clauses granting lirnited electr-onic rights for books
material.
and articles:
For the plrrposes of "Out of Print" clauses, electronic and print rights should be treated separately. A work should not be considered "in print" just because electronic versions of the work are available. Traditionally, writers can ask that
print rights re\¡ert when a work is not available in print form in the United States in a major edition. Similarly, electronic rights should revert when electronic usage falls below a specified rninimum. Securing electronic publication permission for any copyrighted ma-
terials incorporated
in the work
should be the publisher's responsibility. IùØriters often secure limited print rights in copyrighted materials, such as photographs, illustra-
thor.
The electronic
rights to these materials could be expen-
sive. If a publisher seeks the electronic
Tâ=ZOO { {
ì
rights to a work, then the publisher should
and disappear just as quickly, so publishers
tronic books and elecxtronic periodicals
will have to be par-
requires that writers be paid on an
ticularly diligent in monitoring elec-
advance androyalt:¡basis. To the extent
tronic sales. Royalty statements should contaifl accvrate records of production runs, the number of units sold or accessed, returns, copies distributed free of charge, and copies remaining in the warehouse. Audit clauses should expressly permit the writer's
added to writers' works. The materials addecl to the electronic version of a writer's work could be libelous, obscene, invade privacy rights, or infringe copyright. \ùØriters should
WHAT AtsOUf
AAORON9
INTELLÉCTUAL COPYRIGHTP
E
PUBLISHER
LIGIBLE/
produced in an instant
representative to review the databases that compute these figures.
Suggested Electronic Rights Clauses The Authors Guild and the ASJA strongly recommend that writels re-
tain their electronic rights. \Øhere writers are unable to do so, we
(a) issued on a fl.at fee (rather than an advance and royaity) basis;
(b)that permits the abridgement or anthologising of the \X/ork or the addition of illustrations, sound, text, or computerised effects (such as animation, voice-overs or hypertext links) to the \X/ork or the distribution of the -ùØork with any other product; (c) in which the licensee does not provide reasonable protection against unauthorised copying of the'ùØork;
(d)in which licensee obtains
Periodical Contract \Ør itel grants Publisher the non-exclusive right to electroni-
cally publish or license the electronic
ARE NOT
electronic ríghts in any copyrighted materials included in the work.
The vague border between elec-
Publishers should indemnify wliters for all claims arising from illustrations, text, sound, or other materials
AÞA^^ CROOK
bear the additional costs of securing the
article.
Other book contract issues
BY A RTHUB. HACKER
(
Electronic ver-
paid a per-access royalty to offset
held, but in no event shall Authol be required to approve a license:
otherwise exploit the electronic rights in any of the Authorised Formats within 18 months of publication of the \X/ork, the rights to each such unexploited Authorisecl Format shall revert to Au-
sions of a work can be
this.
Author retains the rights to all other electronic technologies and formats, whether now existing or developed in the futule. Publisher's right to license electronic velsions of the -üØork is subject to Author's approval of the license, such approval not to be unreasonably with-
appear in their works.
an article were picked up for syndica-
of an afücle, electronic publication may deplete the rnarket for a print anthology of a writer's work. '$Triters should be
ised Formats").
tions"). Publisher shall retain an agent's pércentage of 10 per cent of the proceeds from the licensing of electronic rights, Publisher sha1l pay Author the remaining 90 per cent of the proceeds within 30 days of the Publisher''s receipt thereof. Author grants Publisher the right to publish non-dramatic eiectronic versions of the \Øork only in the Authorised Formats, on terms to be negotiated with Author in good faith, subject to Author's consent with respect to the Apploval Conditions. If Publisher does not license or
tions, and text that
tion, so should a publisher pay a writer for the electronic republication of an
that readers access the electronic version
Book Contract Author grants Publisher the right to license the publication of nondramatic electronic versions of the -üØork only in the following formats: (list formats, for example, Macintosh CD-ROM, CD-I, on-line database, tobe known as the "Author-
rights retained by the Author (collectively, the "Approval Condi-
the exclusive rights to any formât; or (e) that in any way diminishes or prejudices the dramatic electronic
publication of the Article only in the same form and context as the printed Article (that is, only with the entirety of the printed issue in which the Article appears, u'ithout the abridgement or anthologising of the Article or the addition of illustratiolls, sound, or computersuch as animation or ised effects to the Article). hypertext links Publìsher agrees -to take reasonable steps to seclrre reasonable protection against unauthorised copying of the Article. Publisher shal1 pay the writer an advance of $----- at the time it republishes or authorises the republication of the article, and shall pay the writer a royalty of $--- each time the atticle is accessed on a database and $----- fol each sale of an electronic version of the issue of the publication containing the Article.
February 7994
IE
THE coRRf,sPoltDDI{T
ï-
PLEASE PATRONISE THESE FCC SL/PPORTERS
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Y
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Hearty Engìish Breakfast served
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M
It was a productiue year for the Amsterdam cbapter of absemt FCC mernbers. Resident membersbip increøsed by 100 per cent uitb tbe arriual of Mike Keøts to swell the ranks of tbe otber FCC member, (Frederik Cormelius Cbrislian
= =
Scbokking) 1¡elt
Dutch Treats: Letter From Amstef darn
87f 9773
TRIO'S RESTAURANT q LOUNGE GlC lrl Wo On lono Diþollor 3rrc r Cdilml Hong fo4
h
South China Building, l-J ìØyndham Street Te\ 526-5293 Fax 801-5006
errl:JrJ r:Jåte!]íI)lrrjrrg
ey l\4rc¡rAEr- I(r,ats
Close Encounters of the Exotic lndian Kind
The Ashoka ''-l he lìest.rur¡¡rt A l(ov¡l ßournrct clclilc ¡w.l¡ts vor¡, \t'itlì \/¡lcl lìrrkrn¡¡ Service (l:0(Ìp ¡1 - 1()r(lt) p fl )
uring 7993 Fred, who
''l¿luArrirr.s Atlelrerouslnrliarrlnelul¡¡enee \!edt'l¡rertlrt.lrrtiulgtncttoo,
director of a Dutch chariry for
butn'c'c¡ 7:(i0 l¡ rn - lt)110 p nì \\/r nrc still ther( nt q7 59 \\'r,ndh¡rn St , Ccntr¡l, I I K , I el 521 qô21, i2i 5719 rrìJ ¡l\o ¡l ottr [rr.rnel nen placc lt (,/F Co¡ì¡LruBltt CoDìDtcr.ial llui[1irrg, ll15 \V.rrrch¡i l{o¡d, ll K,'lcl ll9l liglJl, tic)l 5(t5l (
)l'liN
(()J,fr.ìlerl
lsl
handicapped child¡en, and Keats, now managing editor of Inter Press Service, held regular meetings in 32 selected bars and restaurants which approach the quality of 2 Lower Albert Road.
r\ l-1, DAI S ()l:'Il I ll \\'l:lil.i h\ I nrlrJ ll¡.\ertr\ lrt(r,r.ìir('|.ìl)
A
REST,\IJR,\NT
PAPILLON{ FRENCH CUISINE
-LUNCH -DINNER
åÈ +T - LIVE PIANO AND AMBIANCE AFTER DINNER 8-r3 wo oNLANE, cENTRAL. 'rÈr*
TEL: 526 5965
a.m,
Frida¡ Saturday and eve's to public holidays,
58-62D'AguilarStreet Lan KwaiFongCentralHongKong Tel: 845-5577 An Iilite Conce¡>t
i'\
steady stream
Naturally another FCC face was spotted in the crowd; John Haye of the ING Bank, who had come over
bottled varieties from Australia.
based.
He claimed to be suffering fi'om jet lag this is after arriving from Germany
from Prague, where he is now
of those who
ruûffi'mftñ
Lovell and Alex Frere stalwarts all.
-
CENTTR..AIGÆ., ON HING BLDG. (UP THE STAIRS, opposite "LOFT" tN WYNDHAM ST.) CENTRAL RESERVATIONS: 810fi 62
a
at
Amsterdam's Sea Palace
floating restaurant
-would
à la
Aberdeen,
yor-r believell!
From there it was a short lurch to the 323ñ anniversary celebrations of one of the ciry's venerable watering holes, the "Hoppe".
Bob probably doesn't remember, so it's no use asking for the address.
town for a "Hong Kong Means Business" conference, and the Amsterdam FCC both attended and
Keith Copell (former NCR manager) in Hong Kong hopped
entertained
not one of them
Teresa Cibbs, (he new rnanaging editor of Exþressions, also paid us a fleeting visit en roatte ltom Paris to Berlin. A slew of Hongkongers hit
Reltter
across the channel from Lyrnington and resealch expert extraordinaire, Chris Minter, was last seen conducting a canal-side poll of ladies who are seated by the window in a particular area of Amsterdam! Hugh and Annie Van Es were
-
-by trainl
have propped up the FCC's main bar in former lives assisted in discussions of general (not only Ugandan) affairs: Paul Smulthwaite, Graham "Scooter"
I
"Its late and had a bi we haven't from lO - l2 Lare night supper
is
shared aJenever or thre e with the GIS press chief Irene Yau, while listening to Anson Chan and \Øillie Purves
rernind everyone of the wonders of the Fragrant Harbonr . . . Misty eyes among some faces in the clowd. The young and lovely Bob Davis
Cheers
also visited this fair city during his tonr of Europe. However, he did not enrich
the archives of Stock House with a fine selection of tulips blooming, or cyclists riding along the picturesque canals . , But he did discover the "House of Many Beers", which has 18 amber fluids on tap, and about 300 February 1!
Eæ
learnecl of the promotion even before it was announced. He would show up
the next day to offer his congratulations, bearing with him a selection of larger carpets suited to our hero's new
BATTERIES NOT
INI
CLUDED
circumstances.
True to his word the merchant woulcl offer full value for the original smaller carpet in exchange, leaving the Snl Assistant to contemplate another fine purchase.
ffi ffi - s-e æK
A few more years would pass until our SnrAssistant would be rnade "Acting Manager". Again an increase
"äww
EBy I-r'rcrr:roN V-rr-ocr'rRoD:r:
f o.r.. wrote a colrrmn sornewhat I critical ol certain Asians tor a
a beat-up old bicycle with a large bundle strapped to his back.
ap-
"Good evening Sir. rùØelcome to
proach to doing business. However, I recently heard a story that illustrates a longerr,iew. It's about an Indian carpet merchant wlio used to trade in what was then Malaya. In the years befole independence it was the practise of the large British companies w-ho ownecl tl'ie rubber plantations to hire agricultural graduates from universities in Britain, offer'ing them a lifetime career in estate
Malaya," the merchant would gr-eet him with abroad smile, and alighting from his bicycle proceed to unwrap
tendency
to take a short-term
management.
Scottish universities \ /ere especially fertile ground since the harsh climate and limited ernployment op-
the bundle. "I am coming to see yott becattse I am having for you a carpef. Look at
this selection of beautiful carpets. Renember, carpet is like gold. It is ^ an investment. It is ne\,-er going down in price. I give you my word. Yott purchase one carpet and any tine you ask I will take it back or exchange it. I always give full value. If you s¡ant, I give you a written guarantee."
After about six months in the job, one of the new Jnl Assistants would be called into the office, given a pat on the back and told he q,as to be given a bonus. That very same evening, while sit-
ttl arrì corning to see )zc)u l>ecar;se I arrr krarzir-rg for )zou a <:arç>ettt TheJnr Assistant would sadly survey his bleak sitting room, thinking to himself that he did need to put some-
thing on the floor. A little colour q,ould cerlainly make his quarters seem more homelike. Making a small
investment in a carpet might be a good idea. He would make the pur-
ting on his verandah, sipping a ginand tonic and congratulating hinself on his
chase.
good fortune, the young man would notice a srnall, dar-k Indian wearing
Assistant, moving up the ladder, would be promoted to "Snr Assistant", with a Iarget salary and lafger quarters. Sone-
shorts, a tattered shifi, and u,orn rubber sandals come peddling up his drive on THD CORRESP0NIIDilT
Our Acting Manager has
jr-rst
been
promoted to "Estate Manager". By now he is narried with tu,'o childlen at boarding school in England. He is living in a palatial house, staffecl with selvants, high on the hill in the middle of the estate. During the good years when the price of rubber was high he may have received interim visits from the rnerchant. Somehow the merchant would always know when a bonus was due and would time his calls accordingly. By this time our Estate Manager
may have accumulated two, thlee or
beat-up bicycle has long been rel-
bush.
market.
man's initial purchase.
even four fine carpets. The tnerchant's
portunities at home rnade a life in the tropics seem particularly attractive. Each vear a new crop of eager young men would arlive in the colony to assume a starting position of 'Jnr' Assistant" . They v,ould receive a sma1l salary and be assigned a tiny bungalow on one of the estates far into the
However, to a carpet merchant they represented a choice potential
in salary; larger quarters; a visit from the merchant; afair exchange and the sitting room would be graced by an even more striking Oriental carpet. The final stage in the cycle lr.ould come about 15 years aftel the young
A couple of years later our Jnr
how the Indian merchant would have
Febrlraly 1994
egated to the place where bicycles go
when they are put to rest. The merchant now comes speeding up the drive on a Honda motorcycle, helmet on his head, a new shirt on
his back, with neu'pants, imported boots and a cloud of dust in his wake. The final carpet exchange is made, and as always, failvalue is given.
Only this time, if our Estate À4anager had examined his latest purchase
with a magnifying glass he would have discovered a small square where the words "À4ade in Belgiurn" had been r.ery carefully obliterated. Our Estate Manager u'ould never see the carpet merchant ag ln. I-eigtrton
cioubtfLrl thev u oulcl bc of nruch Ltse. \or th at
thcv uoulrl lrrrre lrrsrecl sil'rcc
1c)-+8.
\\'hen the mi.ìkers of thc
utlrltl's first uintlrng rotor rnountecl on ball bcarings pionccrecì a lltcchrttìistìl tlf such irstLrteness lt conttnucs to be illitatctJ
Vzildgerodû
is an associate ru,ember of tbe FCC øttd is ø sales executiue witb an American mtt ltinatiolxctl corupatnJl.
tæ
aao aa
ETERNtr
\l;r l,t ,, i¡¡1¡ç :i¡:¡¡ lSirr Sole Agent arìd Serytce Centre: Desco (HK) Ltd Tel 369 1221
tocl a\'.
I
I
å
ROYAL
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Our roule netwc¡r k spanning ove r 70 cities rn 36 countrìes across 4 corrtincnls, is a plrts
ENROL Novll lN ROYAL ORG¡{þ"
The charming nature oÉ our cabtn crcw, Pick up an enrofment form from your nearest Thai office or
born of a 2000-year o1d crLllrrre, is a plus
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nMr nMrs nMiss !OtherTitle
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