The Web offers new revenue streams, says industry veteran
Television Broadcasts has dominated Hong Kong's small but influential television industry since its founding in 1967. Behind the early success of the company, now the world's largest producer of Chinese-language television shows, was a 21-year-old from Australia.
Singapore-born Robert Chua Wah Peng, who had worked in Australia's television industry, came to work at the fledgling station and was one of its founding staff members. Recognised as one of the fathers of the industry in the city, Mr Chua says he is still in love with the medium.
Starting out as a junior he quickly worked his way up to become a producer for live shows at the channel, including the hugely popular Enjoy Yourself Tonight. Started by investors including chairman Sir Run Run Shaw, TVB was an infant in an industry that had yet to find its feet.
Mr Chua is now credited with helping build TVB's brand name and propelling it towards its first profit. However, he is no longer a big fan of his old station, saying some of its programmes are 'shameful'.
Mr Chua says the medium will inevitably lose out to the increasing power of the internet. But the secret of success is to keep innovating and to combine both technologies.
He was among the first local television executives to start building relations with the mainland - his satellite television venture Chinese Entertainment Television began in 1994 with rights to broadcast in Guangdong province.
