bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Vivienne Chow

Officials faced mounting public pressure yesterday to explain why they denied Ricky Wong Wai-kay's company a free-to-air television licence.
The shocked telecoms entrepreneur revealed that he joined the race for a licence in 2009 at the invitation of the government.
But his was the only bid to be rejected on Tuesday when the granting of free-to-air television licences to two other players - pay-TV operators PCCW and i-Cable - was announced.
They will compete with existing players TVB and ATV.
The award of licences only to PCCW's HK Television Entertainment Company and i-Cable's Fantastic Television caused a public outcry online and in radio talkback shows.
Politicians and nearly 400,000 people who signed a Facebook petition demanded that the government give a full account of the reasons for denying Wong's Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV) a licence. Thousands vowed to protest at government headquarters on Sunday.
Commerce minister Greg So Kam-leung said a consultants' report - which the government has not made public - predicted the city could not support five television stations.
But Wong, who said 320 of HKTV's 500 staff would lose their jobs at the end of this month, described the decision as unjust and "against the public".
He said the government provided no explanation for why he lost out and he did not know the rules had been changed, from having an unlimited number of licensees to choosing two out of three applicants.
The government told legislators in a 1998 paper that "under the new technology-neutral licensing regime, there would be no limit on the number of domestic free licences issued".
Wong said he was contacted by a very senior government official four years ago.
"In 2009, the government called me to invite me [to bid]. On December 31, 2009, we submitted the application," he said.
Wong would not confirm that the official was the then commerce minister, Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan, because it was possible a court would review the decision.
Meanwhile, Philip Li Koi-hop, the chairman of the fringe political group, the People's Opposition Party, filed an application for a judicial review.
A government source said: "As lawsuits are looming, the government has to be cautious in explaining the rationale behind its decision, apart from stating general principles."
Wong defended the quality of HKTV's bid. "We are the most qualified among the three applicants. We focus on entertainment, which is what Hong Kong lacks," he said.
But So pointed to HKTV's plan to operate as many as 30 channels and questioned whether it had the experience to do so or could be competitive. Wong said: "If we are not up to standard and if our score is low, show us the score sheet.
"If this just ends like this, does Hong Kong still have justice?"
A member of the Communications Authority's broadcast complaints committee, Simon Ho Sai-hau, demanded a government explanation, saying it was not the administration's job to ensure a television operator's survival.
Wong said he had no plans to acquire other stations or reapply in 2015 when the licences for TVB and ATV expired.
Video: CY Leung at Legco on the free-to-air ruling




Public outcry over rejection of Ricky Wong's free-to-air TV licence bid

Ricky Wong with head bowed as he expresses his disappointment at the rejection of his application for a free-to-air licence. Photo: Felix Wong

HKTV chairman Ricky Wong Wai-kay said on Wednesday he has no idea why his firm's application for a free-to-air TV licence was rejected by the government.  Photo: Reuters

HKTV chairman Ricky Wong Wai-kay. Photo: SCMP

Harry's view

TV licensing row shows up fickle policy, critics say

The fate of Ricky Wong's HKTV station hangs in the balance after its failed application for a free-television licence. Photo: Felix Wong

Public dubious of TV license decision as HKTV staff back Ricky Wong

Ricky Wong attends a press conference to express his disappointment over the government's rejection of HKTV's free TV licence application. Photo: Felix Wong

Two new free-TV licences approved, but backlash over HKTV's exclusion

Secretary of Commerce Greg So Kam-leung said Exco considered a "basket of criteria" before making its decision. Photo: Sam Tsang

PCCW's Hong Kong Television Entertainment and i-Cable's Fantastic Television won approval for new free-to-air television licences on Tuesday. Photo: Felix Wong

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Greg So Kam-leung. Photo: Sam Tsang

News

Hong Kong

Politicians and 410,000 on Facebook demand explanation as entrepreneur says he was asked by government to join bidding process in 2009


Officials faced mounting public pressure yesterday to explain why they denied Ricky Wong Wai-kay's company a free-to-air television licence. The shocked telecoms entrepreneur revealed that he joined the race for a licence in 2009 at the invitation of the government.


.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Update | Public outcry over rejection of Ricky Wong's free-to-air TV licence bid

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Politicians and 410,000 on Facebook demand explanation as entrepreneur says he was asked by government to join bidding process in 2009

Update | Public outcry over rejection of Ricky Wong's free-to-air TV licence bid

Politicians and 410,000 on Facebook demand explanation as entrepreneur says he was asked by government to join bidding process in 2009