RTHK is still not giving us enough time to get our message across,' complained one senior official. 'If [Director of Broadcasting] Cheung Man-yee doesn't agree then she'll have to be made to do so.' Such complaints illustrate the depth of hostility towards RTHK in the administration, which contributed to yesterday's announcement of Ms Cheung's departure, especially since this particular complaint is unjustified.
Far from refusing airtime, the government-run station has been almost begging Tung Chee-hwa to appear on its programmes. But relations are so bad he seems to believe he will get a better reception on its commercial rivals.
In January, he appeared on Metro radio and it was not until September that he finally did likewise with RTHK - more than two years after Ms Cheung first asked him to do so.
After the October 6 Policy Address, RTHK's traditional phone-in show with Mr Tung was scrapped in favour of a session jointly hosted by all three local radio stations.
When asked about this government hostility towards RTHK, Ms Cheung is fond of pointing out it is nothing new.
There is some truth in that. Officials never like being attacked by the media. And when the critic is itself part of the Government, their anger becomes even more acute.
