Facing licence suspension, ATV staff threaten to pull plug if wages are not paid
Plagued by payroll issues and staff exodus, ATV is unable to continue required news broadcasts
Today could be D-Day for beleaguered Asia Television as angry staff warned that they would “turn off the main switch” – cutting the transmission of all ATV channels – if they do not receive their long overdue salaries today.
The warning came as ATV investor Si Rongbin passed on a message to department heads at a meeting yesterday morning that he had found another new investor for the cash-strapped station.
“That investor, a local, has agreed to pay ATV HK$30 million for now,” said a source with knowledge of the meeting. Staff could get paid today at the earliest, the source added.
The station has only paid some staff their December wages and no one has yet received their January salary. Due to a staff shortage, ATV has suspended its news broadcasts since Saturday.
Under the terms of its licence, ATV is required to broadcast two newscasts, each of at least 15 minutes, between 6pm and midnight on its Chinese and English-language channels. The suspension means that ATV faces the prospect of having its licence revoked before it expires in April.
After yesterday’s meeting, the news department’s management told the remaining staff that they had told ATV’s investors that staff had to be paid today. If they do, the department will move quickly to resume news broadcasts .