EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT, Cyd Ho Sau-lan enters the back room of a Jaffe Road fitness centre for a verbal workout. She appears to have recovered from her defeat in September's Legislative Council elections and, sporting new burgundy highlights, is chirpy and upbeat as she meets with volunteer technicians.
The environment is relaxed and Ho's tone is serious but friendly as she sits at the head of the table, dons headphones and speaks into a microphone about tonight's topic, the US election. Behind her, a large yellow banner on the wall proclaims: 'People want to speak, we want to open the microphone ... safeguarding freedom of speech.'
As soon as her hour-long show, Missing You, starts at 10pm, more than 200 people log on and 'tune in' to People's Radio programme, broadcast on one of Hong Kong's growing number of internet radio stations. Most of the audience is from Hong Kong, but a few contact the show via instant messaging from overseas. Despite her experience as a legislator it has taken a while to feel comfortable as a broadcaster. 'I used to feel tense, but now I'm relaxed. It's like talking to a group of friends,' she says.
People's Radio Hong Kong has been broadcasting from 10pm to 11pm every weekday since June 28. Formed by a group of volunteers, it provides a forum for discussions about a range of subjects, including government policies, politics, art, film, history, sport and even fortune telling. It is one of about a number of politically oriented internet radio stations launched recently and among what industry experts estimate are dozens operated by individuals, independent groups, secondary schools, universities, activist groups and even private housing estates.
'I want to use my show to do an alternative media, discussing issues in depth, and stimulate people to think and do something,' Ho says. It also helps maintain her political profile following the election disappointment.
The increasing use of the internet as a broadcasting tool not only provides more choice than traditional radio, but is an important factor in the issue of freedom of speech in broadcasting due to its lack of government regulation. The issue has come to the fore in recent times following claims of pressure exerted on RTHK to toe the government line and over the departure of outspoken host Albert Cheng King-hon from Commercial Radio after alleged outside interference.