TV veteran decries falling standards

It's turning into an annual ritual for LoDown. Veteran broadcaster Robert Chua Wah-peng turns 61 tomorrow, so happy birthday, we love you!

But this year, it seems Chua's mood has darkened a bit, with him bemoaning the state of television broadcasting, a monster he helped create with his highly successful Enjoy Yourself Tonight, the world's longest-running live variety show on TVB, which ran into the late 1980s.

'I have always thought broadcasting is about educating, informing and entertaining the audience,' he said. 'Now it's all about entertainment, with zero information. I think all the decline in standards stems from that.

'TV has a great influence on people; what we see is really bad influence.'

Chua plans to revamp The Interactive Channel into a health and lifestyle channel. He also is hoping to expand its reach by going into satellite broadcasting. Good luck!