Pro-establishment lawmaker Regina Ip asks if RTHK should maintain its news department, given other options on the market
- There are already enough private sector news operations, reasons Ip
- RTHK staff union and director of broadcasting Leung Ka-wing rebut Ip’s comments, made at a meeting of Legco’s information technology panel
Hong Kong pro-establishment lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has questioned the need for the city’s public broadcaster RTHK to keep its news department, as many other local radio stations have similar operations.
The remarks by Ip, a member of the Executive Council, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s cabinet, were quickly rejected by the RTHK Programme Staff Union and RTHK chief Leung Ka-wing, who said he appreciates what his colleagues have been doing.
“I am proud of the performance of RTHK’s news department, including its radio and video news crews. We are working hard every day to do better,” he said.
The comments were made at a meeting of the Legislative Council’s panel on information technology and broadcasting on Monday.
The meeting was to discuss whether to support RTHK in making its deputy director of broadcasting (administration and development) post permanent, so that the incumbent can continue to work on projects such as looking for a new headquarters for the broadcaster. The temporary post was created in 2014 on a five-year basis and will lapse in May.