Ex-PLA man's long march to the top in media world

Liu Changle is a man who does not mince words. The 52-year-old chairman of Hong Kong-listed regional broadcaster Phoenix Television cuts to the chase when he explains why he stopped tycoon Li Ka-shing in his tracks when the two fought over the control of ATV last year.

'Hong Kong is a free and open society. Hong Kong is a commercial society,' said Mr Liu, who owns 32 per cent of Phoenix.

'They [Tom.com, controlled by Mr Li] wanted to buy 32 per cent [of ATV]; I didn't object. But then they wanted to buy a 50 per cent stake, and if they wanted the majority stake, they needed my permission because I had bought in earlier and I had the right to object to that. I don't think Li Ka-shing can run media better than I can, especially TV.

'That was the reason why I objected to his takeover attempt. Why should we fear him?'

A former People's Liberation Army officer, Mr Liu is not afraid of any one. Standing 184cm tall and weighing 100kg, he is a bear of a man who loves to speak with colourful aphorisms, often at machine-gun speed.

Not only is Mr Liu not afraid of Mr Li - dubbed Superman for his investment ken - he is also unafraid of pushing his luck with censors on the mainland, where Phoenix TV has a daily audience of more than 140 million.

Just ask Zhong Pengtu, a Fujian tax collection officer. He counts himself as a dedicated fan of Phoenix TV's mainland channel. On March 18, 2000, he and three friends gathered in his living room and watched history being made across the Taiwan Strait, when Taiwan's pro-independence politician, Chen Shui-bian, was leading the contest for the island's presidency. Mr Zhong and his friends had become so engrossed in the political drama that they placed bets on the outcome.