Row over hosts' departure a self-directed farce, says agency Xinhua yesterday described Commercial Radio's decision to terminate Albert Cheng King-hon's contract as 'a responsible act' in protecting Hong Kong's image. In a commentary released last night, the news agency said: '[Albert] Cheng King-hon did not honour his contract and refused to promise not to go off the air again. As such, Commercial Radio should, of course, initiate a termination of contract. 'This not only maintains the normal operation of the company and safeguards the station's reputation, but is also a responsible act to protect Hong Kong's image.' The article said the controversy surrounding the departure of radio show hosts was 'a farce directed, produced and cast by themselves'. It also revealed what it said was 'the truth' of why the talk-show hosts had gone off the air. '[Raymond] Wong Yuk-man and others went hiding and ran away for personal reasons, but blamed it on 'political pressure',' it said. However, the commentary did not name Allen Lee Peng-fei, who quit Teacup in a Storm only two weeks after he took over from Cheng. The article also carried a veiled attack against Democratic Party members, saying 'someone in Hong Kong had been stirring up controversies over the incident in an attempt to grab votes for the upcoming elections, placing advertisements in newspapers to pressure Commercial Radio to keep Cheng King-hon'. Commercial Radio's director, Winnie Yu, said there had been no consultation with either the SAR or the central governments on terminating Cheng's contract.
