RTHK prides itself on its editorial independence, something that was not always the case under the British, where it was seen for decades as the government's mouthpiece. Over the years it managed to grow beyond that, and by the time the British left Hong Kong in 1997, RTHK was seen as a solid, if stolid, source of news in English and Cantonese.
RTHK needed a new leader because the last one, Chu Pui-hing,
resigned in July 2007 when he was caught outside a karaoke bar with a hostess
by
The issue is serious because RTHK has come under some threat
in the years after
In May 2007, CPJ wrote to Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang expressing concern about a plan to establish a government public service broadcaster, a concept that could eventually do away with RTHK--which could be interpreted as the death of the coal mine canary. Hong Kong's dynamic media have remained remarkably resilient since 1997, even though there is constant talk of pressure coming down from Beijing on the media as well as Hong Kong's political and economic life. The pressure is real, but for now, the greater concern is the media's tabloid herd mentality, an obsession with the marvelously tacky lives of entertainers and an "if it bleeds it leads" newsroom mentality. That mix gets even more distorted by a growing concentration of ownership, a lot of the money coming from sources with ties to the mainland.
(Reporting from Hong Kong)
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