Hong Kong Stories

IP Ka-po had experienced the glorious days working in the television station and produced a lot of popular programmes. On the other hand, he had also gone through the precarious times when his television station defaulted on wage payments, and its licence being suspended. Mr. IP has been engaging in the television industry for 40 years, and his personal honour has been linking with the process of ups and downs of the company. He is now still working hard in the television world; but instead of working in a commercial television station, he is now working for a religious one. His previous employer has also been transformed from a traditional media into an online broadcasting platform. The only thing remains unchanged is his unique feelings as a television practitioner, and his original mind when he produces programmes.

With the emergence of new network media, young people are looking for entertainment and information from the network world. Recently, with creative media companies going public, people are impressed by the online media managed by young people. Broadcasting has turned into narrowcasting – the viewing mode of young people and the interaction between the audience and the media are already another language of the media. A group of media people, some of whom have experience working for traditional media, went into network media. They were both behind-the-scenes producer and Internet sensations. Yet, in the process of exploring, they went through layoffs. The original team members start off again in a short period of time. How can they continue to be creative on the online platform which competes against time? In addition, there are also film students who have decided not to enter the traditional television and film industries after their graduation. Instead, several fresh graduates establish their own network platform and together they create short films. Not only do they have to find their own style, but they also need to have a grasp of the resonance point of the network audience. Above all, they really enjoy themselves in their works.

In the past 90 years, many people have grown up with radio programmes. A radio may be small, but broadcasting is big. Digital audio broadcasting (DAB) was just a flash in the pan in Hong Kong between 2011 and 2017. Simon HEUNG has worked in a radio station and was responsible for conducting trials for digital broadcasting. TAI Kin-man and IP Sai-hung are also pioneers of DAB: Mr. TAI started to conduct trials for DAB in the 90’s and Mr. IP was Head/DAB of a radio station. What memories do the 3 of them have for the merely 7 years of DAB? While the Government was launching DAB, Radio Television Hong Kong was introducing the Community Involvement Broadcasting Service, hoping that the public community can participate in the airwaves. Little Master, Hei and Pauleen come from different communities and they participate in the project. They voice their opinion in person and bring more different voices to the airwaves. Although DAB has come to an end, the voice of the community will never stop.

Simon LAU is a veteran media worker and a news commentator who has been weaving across politics and media. With engagements in print media, electronic media, and digital new media, he is well aware of the constraints and fading out of mainstream media. Therefore, he has switched his focus to the freer world of online stations where he can enjoy more possibilities. This local Hong Konger, who spent his childhood in the Kowloon Walled City and majored in History in university, is also an arts and culture lover. Currently, he endeavours to build a community that combines knowledge, culture and history for the middle-aged generation in Hong Kong through the Internet.

Agnes WU, as an independent market commentator, started to host financial programmes on television and on radio in 2001. She is well-known by her critical commentary style and being nicked named as “Pepper Potts of the Stock Market”. In addition to financial programmes in traditional media, she is also featured on magazines’ websites, on which she explains market trends in video clips. She believes that analysing the market in real-time with new media and new technology, as well as uploading her analysis to websites, will enable her to reach more people. From 1985 onwards, Francis KWOK already was commenting on trends in the securities market on television and on radio occasionally, which makes him among Hong Kong’s first batch of market commentators in media. Marching into the online world in recent years, Francis has been producing live financial programmes online, where he meets young talents beyond traditional media. Nicknamed “The Gym Guy of the Stock Market”, he go to the gym to relieve stress,. He is convinced that better concentration can help him deal with this ever-changing era of media.

HUNG Chiu-fung has worked in broadcasting for thirty years. Having established his status with a late-night radio programme, he had been elected as one of the 10 most popular disc jockeys in Hong Kong for many years in a row since 1994. When his career was at its peak, however, he was much disturbed by his bipolar affective disorder, which severely affected his work as a radio host. Recently, he has been diagnosed with tongue cancer unfortunately and has had part of his tongue removed, losing the “golden voice” he was proud of. His life has been a turbulent one, but the radio programme first launched by him remains an unforgettable classic. Through the airwaves, he has brought the right persons together, and initiated unambiguous, inspiring discussions of taboo subjects such as relationships and sex. Once a radio host, he hopes that radio can continue to seize its unique edge and bring positivity to audience.

Stephen CHAN was once an administrative officer. While working in the Hong Kong Government in the 1980s, he also worked as a part-time DJ at Radio Television Hong Kong using a stage name. Later, he joined the media industry by chance and started to work in different media organisations since then. CHAN had taken up important positions behind the scene and had been a host and narrator on screen both in radio stations and TV stations. What he witnesses about the development of the media industry may be more extensive than other people as he sees it in different positions and from different angles. The soon-turning-60 “Master Stephen” has stepped down from the management role and opted for engaging more on-screen. Whether on broadcasting platforms or online media, CHAN hopes to find more possibilities, in order to continue devoting his passion to media work.

Broadcasting contents for the minorities can be found in those for the majorities. Programmes for the minorities can also convey social messages. Internet radio hostess Grace WOO, who is celebrated for her analyses of mysterious crime cases, has been engaged in behind-the-scenes work in the television and radio sectors for years. By garnering detailed information and conducting rational analyses, together with the explanations by psychological and psychiatric professionals, she hopes that the audience can have a grasp of the various psychological factors that drive lawbreakers to commit crimes, in order to prevent them from going astray. Radio DJ Vivian YIP strongly believes that the radio industry is fair to everyone. She thus launched the first music-on-demand programme in 2000 exclusively for inmates and their families. Letters are also read out in the programme, thus provide mental comforts for this group of audience who have lost their freedom and have been forgotten by the society, while their relationship with their family can be mended bit by bit.

Hong Kong’s broadcasting industry has a history of 90 years. Today, a batch of new media has emerged in the industry. They have grown and flourished though competition is vigorous. Yet, broadcasting media had still gone through its glorious days in the 1970s. The Broadcast Drive, which is located in Kowloon Tong, can be regarded as the cradle for nurturing broadcasting talents. One prominent example is veteran media practitioner CHEUNG Man-sun. With the company of several artistes and celebrities of the industry, including singer Priscilla CHAN, Director of Broadcasting LEUNG Ka-wing, as well as seasoned media workers CHEONG Shin-keong, Brian CHOW and Alex LEE, CHEUNG reminisces the way he has been through, and tells thoroughly the changes thereon, and at the same time looks forward to the new directions in the future.

Being able to perform in the broadcasting industry is the dream and goal of many of us. In order to obtain these performing opportunities, however, one has to face fierce competition and multifarious challenges. Whether you are a radio announcer or a television artiste, special criteria have to be met in order to do the job well. What exactly are these criteria? Two seasoned figures in broadcasting, CHAN Lai-wun and LAM Kin-ming, will share with us their decades-long experiences in performance through a journey, talking about everything from how they started their performing career to their victorious battles against adversities. By sharing little moments in work and life, the heroines will take retrospective glances of two different life stories.