ATV faces new legal challenge as director seeks release of records

Struggling Asia Television is facing another legal challenge as one of its directors seeks a court order to make the station and its top management surrender records and documents concerning the company's operations that are being kept from its board of directors.

Kevin Tsai Shao-chung, a director appointed by Taiwanese snack tycoon Tsai Eng-meng, filed the application in the High Court yesterday, calling for the company, executive director James Shing Pan-yu, secretary Michelle Ng Yue-wei and ATV Secretarial Company to provide the documents.

According to the court papers, the documents being sought include accounting records and documents concerning ATV's affairs, as well as board papers and correspondence between ATV and the Broadcasting Authority that have been withheld from Kevin Tsai since August of last year.

Minutes of all management committee meetings beginning in September of last year are also being sought.

The legal action was a follow-up to Monday's fruitless action by director Rebecca Huang Bao-huei, also appointed by Tsai Eng-meng, who stormed ATV's headquarters in Tai Po to demand the documents.

A statement issued by Tsai Eng-meng said Kevin Tsai had been repeatedly requesting information on the company's operations and financial status 'in order to enable him to properly discharge his duties as a director' since August.