RTHK recently decided not to renew the contracts of two popular phone-in current affairs talk-show hosts for next year, saying the decision was part of programme changes. The station is a public broadcaster funded with public money and thus people will be extremely sensitive to any changes.
It's clear the whole thing was orchestrated. The station defended the axing as necessary because the programmes had not been changed for years and a revamp was in order. It was claimed that many listeners felt that the personal style of both hosts was too aggressive, and hence restricted the opportunities for the public to express their views when they phoned in.
The political stance of the two hosts - Robert Chow Yung and Ng Chi-sum - is pretty clear: one is pro-establishment, and the other pro-democrat. So it's difficult to say that the axing is related to their political leanings.
It's also difficult to say the move interferes with editorial independence because the station has the autonomy to make staff changes, plus the decision not to renew their contracts was made by senior management and not just the newly appointed broadcasting chief Roy Tang Yun-kwong.
Strangely, we've heard nothing from the supporters of the Save RTHK Campaign, including the Civic Party.
To be fair, changes are needed because the station, as a public broadcaster, must put more emphasis on serving the wider community, especially the underprivileged. There is no need for it to hold strong political views.