COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
Broadcast Corporation Limited (Metro Broadcast) and two by the British Forces Broadcasting Services, serving the British forces and their dependents.
Radio Television Hong Kong
RTHK is a publicly-funded, editorially independent broadcaster whose mission is to inform, educate and entertain people through the provision of balanced and objective programmes. It operates seven radio channels, each with a distinct identity.
Radio 1 is RTHK's main news and current affairs channel. Phone-in programmes provide a forum for discussion of major political and social events. In early 1996, RTHK started to broadcast some of its most popular news programmes on the Internet, and launched telephone services in conjunction with Hongkong Telecom, enabling callers to hear Radio 1's output, or the Newsline programme. Radio 2 targets young people with a blend of Cantonese pop music and programmes ranging from civic education to entertainment.
Radio 3 provides a general news and entertainment service for Hong Kong's English-speaking residents, including comprehensive local and international news, as well as a daytime mix of adult contemporary western music and information. Radio 4 is a bilingual channel devoted to fine music and the arts. Its programmes won four prizes at the 1996 New York Festival's international radio competition.
Radio 5 broadcasts educational, cultural and minority interest programmes such as Cantonese opera and provincial music programmes, as well as several hours of Putonghua programming each day.
Radio 6 provides a 24-hour relay of the BBC World Service, while Radio 7 broadcasts Chinese and Western 'golden oldies', interspersed with news summaries and traffic reports every half hour, and special announcements during typhoons and other emergencies.
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union
RTHK maintains regular links with international broadcasting associations and other radio stations. In November 1996, RTHK hosted the 33rd General Assembly of the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU), a professional association of 98 broadcasting organisations in the Asia-Pacific region. It attracted more than 500 people to the assembly and associated meetings on programming, engineering and other broadcasting issues, including a special session on programme piracy, which was relayed live on the Internet. The ABU Prize Competitions were held in conjunction with the annual meeting.
Commercial Radio
Commercial Radio operates three advertising-funded radio channels, including two FM Chinese services (CR1 and CR2) and one English AM service (Quote 864). CR1 is an information channels offering news, current affairs and financial data. CR2 is an entertainment channel targeting students and young people and promotes local music and original works. Quote 864 is an all-music channel with hourly news and weather reports.
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