About Hong-Kong
If you’re a foreigner visiting Hong Kong and spend a day at home without cable TV, you might want to check out the local channels. In most cases you’ll end up turning it off. First, you may have watched at the wrong times of the day when shows are only meant for kids, businessmen or those able to understand Chinese-language news. In short, there is little to expect for foreigners like me on local channels. But we could be in for a new age in free-to-air television channels in Hong Kong. Recently, interest in setting up local channels is gaining momentum as two firms filed an application while another expressed enthusiasm in doing the same.For years, it has been Television Broadcasts (TVB) and Asia Television (ATV) that has been operating in the city. Apart from feeds from China and Taiwan television channels, Hong Kong’s local TV scene lacks interesting programs. Local TV programs appeared headed to a freefall. ATV’s highly-touted leaders couldn’t agree to work harmoniously to revive its sagging status. Programs like Tonight with David Letterman were unceremoniously taken off their time slots in favor of less interesting travel and lifestyle shows. In 2009, job cuts were often mentioned in the same sentence with ATV or TVB as income suffered in the middle of an economic slowdown.However, a revival seems to be in the works. City Telecom (CTI) and iCable Communications recently submitted applications to operate for a free-to-air TV license. Now, PCCW, the city’s telecom giant is ready to join the game. And I am not surprised, with its ubiquitous presence in the telecoms business (landline, broadband and pay TV), adding the local terrestrial channel operation seems a logical move. The government has been supporting digital broadcasting in the past year, too.Whether the move will benefit non-Chinese speakers like me (read: offering English channels) remains to be seen. But as long as it benefits the majority of the population (more choices, jobs created, etc.), submitting application to operate local channels should be treated just as a formality
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