Asia Television Limited (, also known as ATV) is a digital media and broadcasting company in Hong Kong. Established as Hong Kong's first television service under the name Rediffusion Television () on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial television in 1973 and was renamed Asia Television (ATV) in 1982. ATV operated two principal over-the-air channels: the Cantonese ATV Home and the English ATV World.
Despite its relatively small market share, ATV received awards for its programmes. Among its notable successes was its local version of the British game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 2001, which increased viewership. After 2000, ATV faced a gradual decline in production quality and viewership, as well as financial difficulties – a process that accelerated under the leadership of Wang Zheng, a major shareholder. ATV's credibility was severely damaged in 2011 after its news department had falsely reported the death of Jiang Zemin.
On 1 April 2015, Hong Kong's Executive Council announced that ATV's broadcast licence would not be renewed. ATV's channels ceased over-the-air transmission on 1 April 2016. ATV announced plans to continue business as a digital and satellite broadcaster.Mystery investor in talks to save off-air Hong Kong broadcaster ATV , South China Morning Post, 13 April 2016 The company announced its subscription-based internet content streaming operations in December 2017.
History
1949–1981: Early years
Rediffusion Television (RTV), the predecessor to ATV, began as a wired radio broadcasting service in 1949.Kitley, Philip. (2003). Television, Regulation and Civil Society in Asia. Routledge. The original office was located on Arsenal Street and Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It launched its subscription-based TV service on 29 May 1957. In 1959, Rediffusion was moved to the offices that were occupied by Fortis Bank Tower.
In 1962, Rediffusion broadcast the first-ever fundraising special in the wake of Hong Kong's Typhoon Wanda, which caused 130 deaths. The first televised artist training course was broadcast in 1966 under the title Ying Li’s Voice. First color broadcast started in 1967.
In October 1968, new shows were broadcast on Rediffusion, including variety, sports, and other leisure, attracting more viewers. The most notable show was "Master Q". It also led the trend in acquiring Japanese anime shows, including Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy in 1966.59 years in the making: how Hong Kong's Asia Television went from a pioneering broadcaster to final death , South China Morning Post, 1 April 2016
Rediffusion was given a free-to-air television broadcasting licence in 1973 by the Hong Kong Government, which had switched to using wireless television. Rediffusion (later ATV) and TVB (launched on 19 November 1967) formed a duopoly in free-to-air terrestrial TV broadcasting in Hong Kong for more than 40 years. A third broadcaster, Commercial Television, entered the market in September 1975, but in the face of intense competition from the two rival broadcasters, ceased transmissions in August 1978.Hong Kong Documentary Film , Ian Aitken, Michael Ingham, Edinburgh University Press, 2014, page 111
In 1976, the Hong Kong government introduced Mark Six, a new lottery system that was broadcast twice a week on Rediffusion. The first host of that show was Ha Chun-Chau ().
1981–2002: Development
In 1981, Rediffusion in the UK sold 61% of its shares in RTV to an Australian consortium. In July 1982, a Chinese enterprise called Far East Group (), owned by the Chiu family, took a stake in the company, resulting in Far East Group and the Australian consortium each holding 50% of RTV’s shares. The move marked the first time that a Chinese enterprise had partly owned RTV. RTV was renamed "Asia Television" later in the same year.ATV 46th Anniversary Retrospective (2003), p.34 The company operating ATV frequently recorded losses, and in January 1984, following the withdrawal of the Australian enterprise, the Chiu family acquired the company.
In August 1987, the shares of ATV were put up for sale. One year later, Asia Television Limited, the Lim family (led by Lim Por-yen), and the New World Group each owned one-third of the shares. At that time, the members of the board of directors included Deacon Chiu, Lim Por-yen, Fang Li and Cheng Yu-tung.
On 30 January 1989, the Chiu family sold its shares of ATV to New World Group and Lai Sun Group for HK$237.5 million. The New World Group held half of the shares, while the Lam family owned one-third and Lai Sun held one-sixth. At the same time, Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM) joined as a minority shareholder. Cheng Yue-tung became chairman, Lim Por Yen vice-chairman, and Selina Chow administrative director.
2002–2010: Ownership shift In November 2002, Lai Sun Development, which was heavily indebted following the HK$7 billion acquisition of the Furama Hotel in 1997 at the height of the property bubble, announced that it would sell its 32.75% stake to the company's chief executive, Chan Wing-kee, for HK$360 million in cash.Dennis Eng, "A little less debt for ailing Lai Sun ", The Standard, 18 November 2002
In June 2007, Chan, along with , chairman of Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited, established a company that later bought most of ATV's shares. Afterwards, Chan Wing-kei became Administrative Director General. Following the change in shareholders, the company introduced changes to its production direction, marketing strategy, and human resources management. The network increased the purchase of foreign programmes, such as the South Korean drama Autumn in My Heart.
In December 2008, City Telecom chairman Ricky Wong Wai Kay was assigned as the new chief executive, while former PCCW deputy chairman Linus Cheung Wing-lam became executive chairman.The Standard HK. Survival Drama . The Standard. Retrieved 7 December 2008. After just 2 weeks, Ricky Wong resigned from his position due to many factors.South China Morning Post. "SCMP ." Outspoken, and out of a job. Retrieved on 24 December 2008. In early 2009, Taiwanese billionaire Tsai Eng-Meng signed a preliminary agreement to become a key shareholder of Alnery, a company that controls 47.58% of ATV.Etaiwannews.com. "etaiwannews.com ." Tsai Eng-meng funds HK station. Retrieved on 3 February 2009. Tsai has agreed to inject HK$1 billion in the form of convertible bonds.The Standard HK. "[Friend of ATV chief helped fix $1b deal The Standard.com]." Article. Retrieved on 2 February 2009. Tsai and Payson Cha have since debated over control of the station.The Standard (HK). "Cha accused as ATV spat flares up in public" . Retrieved 10 January 2010.
2010–2015: Decline
Hong Kong's other main television broadcaster, TVB, was regarded as the driving force behind ATV's decision to transform its pay TV operation to terrestrial TV broadcasting. For many years, TVB has been the predominant rating leader in Hong Kong. Its programmes often capture 90–95% of the viewing audience. In the previous renewal cycle, ATV’s licence was renewed in December 2004 for another 12 years. Under the new terms of the licence, the Broadcasting Authority required that ATV World provide bilingual subtitles on news, weather, and current affairs shows, educational shows, and public service announcements, as well as more cultural and arts shows.English subtitles for ATV and TVB , South China Morning Post, 13 November 2002 In its final years, viewing figures for ATV Home had fallen sharply, as the TV station had begun to cater more to the interests of the mainland Chinese audience, who could now legally receive the channel. In the Pearl River Delta area of China, ATV used to enjoy a 70% ratings share in the late 1990s, largely due to rebroadcasting rights. The ratings share has since reduced to 2–3%. The shift resulted in Hong Kong viewers complaining that programmes aired on the channel are "old-fashioned" and not in tune with the preferences of the Hong Kong TV audience.
In 2010, Chinese property businessman Wang Zheng became known as ATV's "major shareholder" and began to exercise actual control over the board of directors when his relative-in-law Wong Ben Koon, who is a Hong Kong resident, purchased 52% of ATV's shares from Cha's brothers and other shareholders, although Wang himself was not a member of the board. Observers believed this arrangement bypassed Hong Kong’s broadcasting regulations, which forbid non-Hong Kong residents to own and control local television stations. Stating his plan to shape ATV into "Asia's CNN" and "Hong Kong's conscience", Wang replaced the production of television drama series with talk shows, which contributed to further loss of ATV's audience and advertisers.
On 6 July 2011, ATV News falsely reported the death of Jiang Zemin, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Wang Zheng, at that time, who was rumoured to be a distant relative of Jiang, was believed to be the source. The Communications Authority fined ATV HK$300,000 for the false news report and later another HK$1 million after concluding Wang Zheng had been unlawfully interfering with ATV's management. Wang's cousin James Shing Pan-yu was forced to quit his role as executive director. ATV came under heavy pressure from the community when its ATV Focus smeared anti-Moral and National Education pupils and when it broadcast a live show of Wang leading a group of artists dancing in front of the Central Government Offices to call for the government not to issue new free-to-air licences.
On 19 June 2013, the Hop Chung Tourist Car Company – a long-time transport contractor of ATV – filed a lawsuit asking the High Court to wind up ATV over unpaid bills totalling HK$900,000. ATV executive director James Shing denied the station was experiencing financial problems. In 2014, the court ruled in Tsai's favour that Wang Zheng was responsible for ATV's business failure and appointed Deloitte to seek a white knight to take over Wong Ben-koon's controlling shares.
ATV had also failed to pay wages to its employees; at the end of December 2014, the company said it would shortly pay half the back wages of its staff for September.Hong Kong broadcaster ATV once more defaults on pay for its staff , South China Morning Post, 5 December 2014 By early January, the company still owed the balance of salaries outstanding since November, and there were several terminations and redundancies as a result of the operating difficulties. ATV and its executive director, Ip Ka-po, received 34 prosecution notices from the Labour Department concerning unpaid wages from July through September. In late January 2015, the company, still facing liquidity issues, controversially advanced the outstanding salaries to employees for December on condition that employees signed a loan agreement with the company belonging to the major shareholder, Wong Ben-koon.
2015–2017: Loss of licence On 31 March 2015, ATV announced during its evening news that its main shareholders had agreed to sell their stake in the company to Ricky Wong's Hong Kong Television Network (which was the subject of a failed bid for an over-the-air licence before electing to launch as an internet television service instead). Although he had met with ATV staff a few days prior, Wong denied that a deal had been made, while legislators argued that the report was intended to mislead the Executive Council into believing that ATV was in the process of addressing its financial issues.