Lawmakers vote against holding DBC inquiry

Legislators voted against holding an inquiry into the difficulties that have afflicted Digital Broadcasting Corporation, on Friday.

Lawmakers at a House Committee meeting voted 36-25 against setting up a select committee to inquire into issues related to DBC’s halt in broadcasting original programming, among other problems.

Supporters of the motion were mostly pan-democrats, and opponents were from the pro-government camp.

Moved by People Power lawmaker Albert Chan Wai-yip, the motion proposed investigating why DBC directors stopped injecting funds into the station, causing it to wind down its broadcasting, and whether the mainland’s liaison office meddled in the situation’s affairs.

New People Party chairwoman Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee opposed the motion, saying an inquiry would not uncover the truth.

Some observers have pointed to the leaked recording of a conversation as proof of Beijing’s interference.

One voice on the recording can be heard disapproving a plan to hire a certain current affairs talk show host because she might offend the central government’s liaison office. The speaker is said to be Bill Wong Cho-bau, a DBC shareholder and Beijing loyalist.

The city’s first digital broadcaster, DBC was forced to stop producing original programming recently after running out of cash after a row between shareholders.

DBC has been mired in financial woes following a boardroom feud between founder Albert Cheng King-hon and Wong, who withheld an investment of HK$50 million in the station.