RTHK has outlined draft plans to carry four digital television channels, including one for high-definition programmes, after its planned move to a new headquarters in 2015.
The new channels would mean a drastic increase in productions, but critics fear the broadcaster may struggle to retain audiences who currently watch its programmes through commercial broadcasters.
An RTHK official familiar with the situation said an additional spectrum allocated to the broadcaster could bring new programming opportunities, but also said it would pose big challenges to staff.
The government pledged this week to give RTHK fresh 'staffing, financial and spectrum resources' to boost its operations. One initiative was to allocate a group of digital channels broadcast on the ultra-high-frequency band - capable of providing both high-definition and standard definition services - to RTHK for digital broadcasting.
As the broadcaster's existing headquarters in Kowloon Tong could not house fully fledged digital broadcasting, the test run for new channels would only begin after the scheduled move to a new headquarters in Tseung Kwan O in five years.
The official said RTHK could run a 24-hour dedicated high-definition channel for its own public affairs programmes, in addition to three channels in standard definition.
One standard definition channel could relay the mainland's CCTV channels, while another could carry community group productions. The remaining channel might carry educational programmes or co-productions with overseas broadcasters.