A line-up of big names in the film industry will speak out at a media conference today on the serious impact they feel the government's television licensing decision will have on the city's cultural and creative industries.
The government has been reluctant to explain why i-Cable and PCCW subsidiaries were successful in securing free-television licences but not Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV).
"It is not just about a lack of explanation," Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers chairman Ng See-yuen said.
The licensing issue has dragged on for nearly four years. The Broadcasting Authority recommended in 2011 to approve all three applicants, in line with a 1998 television policy review that advocated an open market with unlimited free-to-air licences.
After losing the bid, HKTV chairman Ricky Wong Wai-kay laid off 320 staff and is preparing for a legal battle. The ensuing public outcry has seen nearly half a million signatures in a Facebook petition demanding HKTV get a licence. Thousands are expected to join a rally tomorrow.