Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK to undergo management review by civil servants following series of controversies

Move triggers accusations the government is trying to erode the broadcaster’s independence, though authorities say editorial decisions will not be examined

The review will cover RTHK’s administrative issues, including financial control, human resources and procurement, commerce bureau says

4-MIN READ4-MIN

The review is set to start in mid-2020 and finish by the year’s end. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Published: 9:51pm, 28 May 2020Updated: 10:26pm, 28 May 2020

Public broadcaster RTHK will undergo a thorough management review led by civil servants, Hong Kong’s commerce bureau has revealed, following a series of controversies over the station’s output.

The government on Thursday said editorial decisions would not fall under the review team’s remit, but the move triggered accusations that the administration was trying to erode the broadcaster’s independence.

The review, set to start in mid-2020 and finish by the year’s end, will cover RTHK’s administrative issues, including its financial control, human resources and procurement.

The management and the programme contents of RTHK have aroused wide public concern recently

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau

The progress in the implementation of the government’s Audit Commission report in 2018, which had exposed a range of operational inefficiencies, will also be assessed.

“The management and the programme contents of RTHK have aroused wide public concern recently,” a statement from the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said.

“RTHK must follow up on the matters in a proactive and positive manner, and a review should be conducted to ensure that it fully abides by the charter, duly meets its responsibility as a public service broadcaster and strictly complies with the relevant codes of practice issued by the Communications Authority.”