Update | Hong Kong's ATV denied new free-to-air licence as Exco pulls the plug on ailing broadcaster
After four-hour meeting, government decides not to renew struggling broadcaster’s free-TV licence
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and his cabinet finally pulled the plug on struggling broadcaster ATV yesterday, deciding not to renew its free-to-air licence which expires in November.
On an April Fool's Day filled with real-life drama that created a bigger sensation than any programme the cash-strapped station has produced in recent years, the Executive Council spent four hours to decide that ATV did not deserve the lifeline it was desperately seeking.
It’s the first time the government has refused to renew a TV licence
Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Gregory So Kam-leung, the minister in charge of broadcasting, explained that ATV had been given ample time to submit a sustainable business plan to carry on, but had failed to deliver. And there was no potential buyer with a satisfactory financial proposal.
"It's the first time in Hong Kong's history that the government has refused to renew a television licence," he said.
READ MORE: Decision not to renew ATV licence wins government rare praise
The station will be allowed to operate until April 1, 2016, as the government is required to give it a full year's notice. If ATV continues to breach broadcasting laws in the interim, its licence could be revoked altogether.