Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) (香港電台); is a public corporation headed by the Director of Broadcasting Mr. Chu Pui Hing (朱培慶). She provides different kinds of educational, entertainment and public affair programms. So that she can become the leading public broadcaster in the new media environment.
In order to achieve such goals she has five missions, firstly, to inform, educate and entertain our audiences through multi-media programming; secondly, to provide timely, impartial coverage of local and global events and issues; thirdly,to deliver programming which contributes to the openness and cultural diversity of Hong Kong; forthly, to provide a platform for free and unfettered expression of views; and lastly, to serve a broad spectrum of audiences and cater to the needs of minority interest groups.
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2 Television Programmes 3 Public's concern on the independence of the RTHK 4 History of RTHK 5 See also 6 External links |
RTHK provides a total of seven channels:
Radio Channels
One of the two Cantonese radio channels, Channel 1, focuses on current affairs, features phone-in programmes, and Channel 2, targets more on youngsters, emphasizes infotainment, to arouse the awareness of the new generation to various social phenonmenon. Both HKALE Chineses and English examinations are broadcasted in channel 2. Other channels are Channel 3 which is in English; Channel 4, a bilingual classical music channel in which the HKCEE English Listening Examination is broadcasted; Channel 5, on cultural and educational programmes; Channel 6 and the channel 7 inPutonghua . The Putonghua Channel was set up in March in 1997. It was the first Putonghua broadcast in Hong Kong.
In 1994, RTHK had its official website launched on the Internet. It was the first broadcaster to put radio and television programmes online in Hong Kong to facilitate access to its programmes both locally and internationally. (Direct link to international broadcasters around the world through can be ahieved through RTHK Broadcasters' link. )
The website has three versions; English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. By 2000, all the seven RTHK radio channels were webcasted live and the scripts of RTHK instant news were also available online.
24-hour instant Chinese and English news, financial news, hourly updated news bulletin and current affairs programme "HK Today" are now available online at the RTHK website. Free Online News subscription service has been launched to the public. Chinese and English Online News is being delivered directly to subscribers via e-mail three times a day. PDA downloadable version is also provided.
RTHK provides e-Learning contents which encompass different domains in literature, arts and languages, in a bid to arouse public interest in life-long learning via multimedia interactive Internet platform. Some of the projects which have been launched include: "Chinese Literature on the Net" (文學相對論), "Inter-University Multimedia Special Online Project" (多媒體創意廊), "Speaking Better English Online", "Online Reading Projects" (網上讀書樂), "Web Thinking with Dr. LEE Tien-ming (李天命網上思考)", "Online with PAI Hsien-yung" (我和白先勇的網上約會), "Hong Kong Colloquial Expression" (俗語趣談) and "Distinguished Lecture Series" (傑出學人學術講座)etc.
RTHK ON INTERNET is enriched by a number of special online projects, such as "Classics Channel" (經典重溫頻道), "25th Anniversary of Top TenGold Songs" (金曲廿五年), video live webcast of "Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award Presentation Concert" (十大中文金曲頒獎禮) and online voting, "Sound Archive Polling 2001" (有聲為證︰聲音檔案選舉), "Broadcasters' Links" (世界廣播連線), "UN In Action", "Radio 2's 20th Anniversary" (二台二十周年) and "Y2K+01" special websites.
In 2001, RTHK jointly organized "The Global Chinese Pop Chart" (全球華語歌曲排行榜) with the Chinese radio stations of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. It became the most coveted Chinese pop song indicator.
In 2001, RTHK Service Hotline (香港電台服務熱線) was launched to provide instanteous information to audience all around the globe via telephone. The telephone number is 22720000.
RTHK also produces television programmes on public affairs which are broadcasted by the three commercial television channels, TVB (無線電視), ATV (亞洲電視); and Cable TV (有線電視), in Hong Kong. These programmes include "Hong Kong Connection", "A Week in Politics" , "Media Watch" (傳媒春秋), "Police Magazine" (警訊), etc. The "Police Report", the oldest TV programme among all the RTHK TV productions, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. A theme song sung by a famous Hong Kong singer Mr Jacky Cheung (張學友) was created to celebrate this memorable moment. (For more information aboutn the police report, please see below) RTHK has also produced numerous award-winning programmes. In 2003 alone, the radio station has won 3 honorable awards on radio programmes and 5 renowned awards on TV programmes, of which a programme on the controversial Article 23 (《鏗鏘集》︰ 「基本法第23條」特輯) has won the prestigious Press Award in The 8th Annual Human Rights Press Awards - Broadcast-Television. [1]
"Hong Kong Connection" (鏗鏘集), a documentary series which addresses both local and international issues, also serves as a good example for the success of the RTHK in producing quality TV programmes for the members of the public.
The Police Report is a 5 minute long TV programme that is shown weekly and it is jointly produced by Radio Television Hong Kong and Hong Kong Police Force.
Primarily it aims at appealing to the general public the recent crime trends, and giving crime prevention advice. Some episodes also ask the general public to help the police in providing more information to help solve crimes.
The programme is aired every Saturday evening on TVB Pearl at 19:20, and Sunday evening on ATV World at 18:55.
Besides, RTHK is also responsible for producing Education Television Programmes (ETV) (教育電視) for primary and secondary students. ETV was first broadcasted in 1971 for primary 3 students and was extended to primary 6 students in 1974. By 1978, its coverage had also reached secondary 3 students. While programmes covering the topics of English, Chinese, Mathematics and Putonghua are provided to both primary and secondary schools, Science and Humanilities programmes are specially provided for secondary school students and General Studies programme is also designed to suit the needs of the primary level.
As mentioned earlier, RTHK is a public corporation. Unlike some of the very well-established and respected public broadcasters like the BBC and NHK, which are primarily funded via a license fee system, she is funded directly by an annual government allocation, and operates as a department of the SAR government. The controversial concern is, whether RTHK has enough editorial independence? Or in other words, critics are worried that given the nature of the RTHK, will it place the government's interests over the public's when deciding what to or what not to broadcast?
There was controversy in 2000 when Chief Executive Tung Chee Wah admitted in a public statement that he hoped RTHK would help in sending out the government's messages. This delt a blow to RTHKs credibility however, RTHK has managed to retain it's image as an independent news organisation reporting purely in the public's interest.
On other hand, there has been an arguement in the society of whether RTHK should be corporatised. Proponents of the idea argued for RTHK to become an independent corporation, hived off from government, so that it could achieve more flexibility, and more cost-efficiency, in its operation. However, the ultimate concern that irritates the nerves of those critics is if there is enough editorial independence for a public broadcaster. One of the examples was the suspected intervention of RTHK's press freedom in July, 1999. After inviting Cheng On Kwok (鄭安國), the Taiwan representative in Hong Kong, to discuss the issue of the separation of China and Taiwan, the RTHK was condemned by those pro-China critics. In October the same year, the Head of Radio Broadcasting, Ms. Cheung Man Yee (張敏儀) was transferred to Japan as the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative in Tokyo for, apparently, no prominent reason.
However, there are cases where the RTHK's editorial independence was fully exemplied. There was one episode of "Letter to Hong Kong" (香港家書) (a programme of which important government officials read letters on Hong Kong matters on air to the public) was rescheduled for another more timely and newsworthy one. The switch had been made possible by a prompt editorial decision. Second, a recent survey of the Hong Kong media conducted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong School of Journalism and Communication placed the RTHK in first place amongst the electronic media in terms of credibility. RTHK also achieved second place overall when all the local newspapers and magazines were included. [1]
In 1928, the Hong Kong Government had decided to take over the radio broadcasting and launched the first broadcasts in June under the call-sign of GOW. A year later, the call-sign was changed from GOW to ZBW. While Mr. N. L. Smith, the then Postmaster General, was appointed as the first ever Head of Radio Broadcasting in Hong Kong. However, the first broadcast of news bulletin was not launched until 1934. During the same year, a Chinese channel was also established under the call-sign of ZEK . Finally in 1948, the call-signs of ZBW and ZEK were abandoned and combined to form the name of "Radio Hong Kong" (RHK)(香港廣播電台)officially. The broadcasting operations were taken over by the Government Information Services in 1949. In the same year, it was moved to Electra House as headquarters and the broadcasting operations are taken over by the Government Information Services. But in 1954, it was separated from the Government Information Services and became independent. In 1960, RHK introduced the VHF/FM transmission for broadcasting in both Chinese and English channels. The headquarters of RHK was the Broadcasting House (廣播大廈)at Broadcast Drive in Kowloon in 1969.RHK established the Public Affairs Television Unit in 1970. Its own newsroom was set up in 1973. The Unit produced public affairs TV programmes which broadcasted on licensed commerical TV stations. In 1976, the name "Radio Television Hong Kong"(RTHK) was adopted to replace Radio Hong Kong to show its increasing productions in television programmes. In the same year, RTHK started to produce educational television programmes for schools after setting up the Educational Television Unit. In 1986, RTHK TV headquarters moved and renamed Television House. The first News and Financial News channel, Radio 7 was established in November, 1989. In 1994, the radio and television programmes were put online on the RTHK website.
This year RTHK is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Broadcasting in Hong Kong. In order to celebrate this important moment, RTHK launched a new channel on the internet, 'the Classics Channel'. There are more than 150 programmes, including 78 radio programmes and 73 television programmes available for audience to review through the internet. All these programmes are chosen by producers or audience members. The Classics Channel is now asking audience who has recorded the old RTHK programmes to share their record with general public through the Channel. This has made up a good record for the last 45 years of RTHK radio and TV production. The Classics Channel website: http://www.rthk.org.hk/classicschannel/main.htm
Also to commemorate this special moment in RTHK's history, a special "RTHK Broadcast 75th Anniversary Jubilee Memorial" has been released to revive all of Hong Kong's favorite hits & special moments. The CD is packed with over 40 artists showcasing 45 golden hits from the different decades of Hong Kong's music history on 4 CDs. Idols such as Sandy Lam, William So, Leslie Cheung, Emil Cha, Gigi Leung, Sally Yeh & George Lam, Beyond + Candy Lo to name a few are featured in this collectors CD. Everlasting classics such as "Really Love You", "Can 't Sleep", "Still", "Stupid Girl", "Candle Flicker" & "Glory Days" plus an unending list of other hits are all available on a special edition CD. By listening to this CD, we can realise the long history and popularity of RTHK.
For more detail coverage of RTHK history, please visit http://www.rthk.org.hk/classicschannel/history.htm/
Television Programmes
Public's concern on the independence of the RTHK
History of RTHK
See also
External links
