ATV is on the brink of collapse. Established for 57 years and known as Hong Kong’s oldest free-to-air Chinese television station, ATV has been struggling with its cash flow. The company only paid its staff half of their November wages this past week. ATV still owes its workers the remaining salaries for November and the full month of December. With ATV’s future in jeopardy, many resignations were sent in. Despite rumors of the staff leaving en masse, ATV spokesperson Wong Sau Tung (黃守東) clarified that at least 90 percent of the staff showed up at work on January 2. Nonetheless, many ATV programs were axed or scaled down due to staffing issues. The morning news program Good Morning Asia <亞洲早晨> was cut short due to staff shortage, and prime-time programs Asian Entertainment <星動亞洲> and Asia Policy Unit <亞洲政策組> were taken off air. Their old timeslots are currently occupied by the reruns of ATV’s 2003 drama Light of Million Hopes <萬家燈火> and the 2010 South Korean drama Definitely Neighbors <鄰居冤家>. Yesterday, ATV actor Lau Shek Yin (劉錫賢) was seen arriving at ATV to film the new program ATV is One Family <ATV一家人>. The actor revealed that the purpose of the program is to pass over positive energy to its workers. The program will interview ATV’s current staff members as well as former workers. Asked if low morale is spreading throughout the station, Lau Shek Yin said, “Everyone seems to be okay! Many people have gone back to work. I don’t feel like there is less staff.” Lau Shek Yin said he still has eight months left in his contract with ATV. He will not leave the station at the moment, expressing that he must adhere to his principles and honor the spirit of his contract. In regards to the possibility that ATV may go bankrupt in the future, he said, “There’s nothing we can do about it. I can’t say that it’s a pity. If it has to happen, it will happen.” Creds: Oncc
Dang that sucks, you would think HKTV and ATV would work together to take on TVB, unless there's some big legal issue there...but I think on paper it would look good. ATV has the free to air license that HKTV needs, and HKTV obviously has the financial backing currently to get ATV back on it's feet.
But ATV has a lot of problems, HKTV owner mentioned that atv is bottomless pity, you don't want to burden your self with their shit.
Ah ok didn't know that, although if ATV does go under and can't air any more then wouldn't the government have to grant the license to HKTV then?
HKTV's problem in getting the free license was probably due to the fault of the owner, he pissed off certain government officials, whether it's local or mainland. So they been doing all they can to stop HKTV. They are also airing some dramas that have to do with recent politics, that just make things harder for them. Unless they have a lot of public support or some major changes in the government, I don't see it happening.
