ATV chief James Shing ‘not fit to exercise control’
Communications Authority orders removal of executive director who facilitated investor’s interference in station’s day-to-day management
The Communications Authority has ordered Asia Television to remove executive director James Shing Pan-yu from his post for allowing "investor" Wong Ching to interfere in the station's day-to-day operation and fined the station HK$1 million.
The authority said that it found Wong, also known as Wang Zheng, who is neither a shareholder nor a director, had actual control over ATV's operations. This was in violation of the station's licensing terms.
I'll fight till the last moment for ATV. "God bless Hong Kong. God bless ATV
It also found strong evidence suggesting Shing misled the authority by providing "corrected" versions of minutes of weekly management meetings, in the hope of downplaying Wong's role in ATV's management.
The authority passed its findings to the police.
The announcement came after a two-year legal battle between ATV and the authority. ATV attempted to stop it from releasing its findings by lodging a judicial review last year, but the Court of Final Appeal dismissed its application on August 15.
In 2010, Wong submitted a letter of undertaking - which constituted part of the station's licence conditions - to the authority, promising he would not be entitled to exercise de facto control of ATV.
However, an investigation between July 2011 and June 2012 proved otherwise. Minutes of meetings, provided by unnamed interviewees from the station, showed Wong had a direct and active role in daily affairs such as staff discipline, programme production and promotion.