Embattled broadcaster Asia Television will hold its 52nd anniversary celebrations in Taiwan later this month, a sign of the increasing influence of new shareholder Tsai Eng-meng.
Hong Kong's oldest private broadcaster, established on May 27, 1957, as Rediffusion, has had many controlling shareholders and is now in the hands of property tycoon Payson Cha Mou-sing and his family and Taiwanese rice cracker billionaire Mr Tsai.
Media Eye understands that Mr Tsai and chief executive Nancy Hu Gin-ing, the former Taiwan movie star, will lead a team of ATV artists to Taipei for the celebrations at the CTI TV studio on May 27. The party will adopt the format of popular Taiwan television programme Kangxi Come featuring interviews and will be broadcast in Hong Kong on May 29. CTI TV is ATV's sister broadcaster.
Mr Tsai is expected to kick off the celebrations a few days earlier by attending the May 24 Sha Tin horse racing meeting being sponsored by the broadcaster.
Since ATV chairman Linus Cheung Wing-lam stepped down from his executive role last month, Ms Hu has been running the operations. Sources said she was recruiting executives to help rebuild the business, some of them former ATV staffers from the early 1990s.
Another example of the growing influence of Mr Tsai are the discussions being held to have the logo of his Want Want Group appear on ATV name cards.
Digital TV not a windfall