Unfair competition existed in the free-to-air television market, ATV's head told a Legislative Council meeting yesterday.
The revelation came as ATV chief executive Nancy Hu Gin-ing answered questions about the business of free television at a meeting of Legco's information technology and broadcasting panel.
Ms Hu said: 'There is unfair competition in the market ... There are broadcasters who, by unwritten rules, ask entertainment artists not to appear on our programmes. This makes our working relationship with artists very difficult.
'There is also a monopoly situation regarding advertising. All these make the business climate really difficult.'
But TVB general manager Cheong Shin-keong rejected her claims and said his company also faced competition from pay channels.
Stephen Chan Chi-wan, also a TVB general manager, said the company had no power to require artists to boycott other channels.