TWO weeks before Wharf's Cable TV system goes on air, managing director Stephen Ng Tin-hoi said his station is still expecting to run four STAR TV subscription channels soon despite remarks by the satellite TV station's boss they would not be available until mid-1994.
Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp company bought a controlling interest in STAR TV in July, said in Australia last week that he had not decided when to add a subscription service to the station's five free-to-air channels, but none could be started before mid-1994 at the earliest.
On instructions from the Government, STAR TV had been set to provide four subscription channels to Wharf's Cable TV system, due to begin operations on October 31.
Mr Ng admitted that there would be a delay, but not as long as the ''several weeks and possibly months'' suggested by Mr Murdoch last week.
He told Sunday Money: ''The indications were that they could be ready as early as October or November, although that appears to be unlikely now.
He said that following talks with News Corp, there were indications that Wharf could get the STAR subscription service in Hong Kong before it went on the satellite, and the company did not expect to wait until next June or July before that happened.
''I would think that would happen closer to this point in time than one next summer,'' he said, adding he had not spoken to Mr Murdoch directly on the issue.