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attract top ratings. RTHK also produces schools programmes on behalf of the Education Department.
The Wharf Group's Cable Television Limited (Wharf Cable) is licensed to operate a pay TV service until 2005. It offers 15 channels in its basic pay TV package, 14 channels on the optical fibre network, four pay-per-view channels and a premium movie channel. In June 1996, a Home Shopping Channel was added to the basic package, which also includes several locally-produced channels, such as a 24-hour Cantonese news service, and channels devoted to sports, movies, children's programmes, and horse racing.
Wharf Cable also carries several overseas channels, such as CNN, BBC and ESPN. Subscriptions increased from 170 000 at the end of 1995, to about 300 000 at the end of 1996. By its third anniversary, in June 1996, Wharf Cable's micro-wave and optical fibre networks had passed more than 1 million homes and 110 000 homes respectively.
About 465 000 households can also receive regional satellite channels, of which the most popular are the four free-to-air channels broadcast by STAR TV.
Broadcasting hub of Asia
Many regional and international broadcasters have chosen Hong Kong as their Asian broadcasting hub, attracted by the excellent infrastructure and world-class telecommunications facilities, as well as the other ingredients that make Hong Kong the best place to do business in Asia.
STAR TV
Hong Kong is the home base for Satellite Television Asian Region Limited, known as STAR TV. It broadcasts 20 free-to-air and pay TV channels in a variety of languages to an estimated 220 million viewers in 53 countries across Asia, mainly from AsiaSat 1 and AsiaSat 2, launched in 1990 and 1995, respectively.
During 1996, STAR TV continued developing channels geared to the demands of specific markets. In March 1996, STAR TV and its joint-venture partners launched the Phoenix Chinese Channel with a predominantly China-oriented programming service. STAR Plus Japan, a 24-hour general entertainment channel in Japanese, and Viva Cinema, a Tagalog movie channel for the Philippines, were launched in April and May respectively. In late summer 1996, STAR TV launched a special package of programming services for the Indonesian market. A fifth subscription movie channel, targeting the Japanese market, was introduced at the end of the year.
Other satellite broadcasters
Hong Kong is also home to China Entertainment Television Limited (CETV) and the Chinese Television Network (CTN). Both operate an entertainment channel, and CTN also broadcasts a news channel. Several other international broadcasters operate studios in Hong Kong and uplink their signals from the territory, including CNN International, TNT & Cartoon Network, NBC Asia, and Reuters Asia Limited.
Radio
Hong Kong has 15 radio channels - seven operated by RTHK, three by Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited (Commercial Radio), three by Metro