Pocari Sweat, Pizza Hut’s mainland China offices distance themselves from Hong Kong franchises over ‘TVB bias’ in coverage of extradition bill protests

Sports drink manufacturer on mainland pans Hong Kong colleagues for decision to stop running adverts on city’s biggest free-to-air broadcaster

Decision made following public concern over ‘pro-Beijing coverage’, as anti-bill campaigners target other advertisers

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Internal strife has emerged at Pocari Sweat on the mainland and in Hong Kong over the latter office’s decision to stop running adverts on TVB in the wake of protest coverage complaints. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 10:00am, 12 Jul 2019Updated: 11:43am, 12 Jul 2019

The mainland Chinese franchises of two international brands at the centre of an advertising storm distanced themselves from their counterparts in Hong Kong on Thursday in a new twist that pushed the conflict over the extradition bill to new heights.

Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat’s mainland office said it regretted the leaking of a decision by its Hong Kong branch to stop placing adverts on Hong Kong’s free-to-air broadcaster Television Broadcasts (TVB), due to public concern over the media giant’s reporting style.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s industry watchdog, the Communications Authority, said on Thursday it had received about 12,000 complaints about TVB’s news reports on the controversial bill since June and was looking into them.

A person close to the operator of Pizza Hut restaurants across the border, Yum China, told the Post the group had nothing to do with the restaurants in the city, which are run by another firm, the conglomerate Jardines. Jardines said its advertising campaign on TVB recently ended as planned.

The protests against these brands were the first wave of targeted action against TVB for what anti-bill campaigners regarded as pro-Beijing reporting of the demonstrations against the now-suspended draft legislation.

TVB is accused of biased coverage of protests and advertisers are being targeted for withdrawing from the channel. Photo: EPA-EFE

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