HKTV to Broadcast Dramas Over Internet
After their failure to obtain a free-to-air license from the Hong Kong government, HKTV announced that they will broadcast on the Internet instead. Similar to over-the-top (OTT) content provided by Netflix and Hulu, HKTV’s Internet channels will commence in July 2014.
HKTV’s OTT system will be highly user friendly. The new platform will allow consumers to have access to multimedia content through their smartphones, tablets, personal computers and smart TVs.
This service will comprise of three to five channels, including a Cantonese channel, as well as a 24-hour news channel. Most content will be available free, with the exception of some video-on-demand services. To support its new Internet strategy, HKTV announced that they will reorganize their management and rehire the 320 employees originally laid off.
To aid its Internet broadcasting strategy, HKTV forked out approximately $142 million to acquire China Mobile Hong Kong Corporation Ltd. During a press conference, Ricky Wong (王維基) said, “This is a misunderstanding, the company is only a subsidiary to only provide TV service; it has nothing to do with the mobile phone services.”
Consumers will only have to purchase a receiver for no more than $700 HKD in order to receive the Internet programming offered by HKTV, as normal online connections are too choppy to watch broadcast content. The networks will be so stable that even rural areas will be able to receive signals.
HKTV will offer approximately 260 hours of drama content in 2014 and 520 hours in 2015. Ricky plans to add 800 to 1,000 more employees in the next two years to accommodate for increase in productions.
Source: ihktv.com
This article is written by Su for JayneStars.com.
Great!
Consumers will only have to purchase a receiver for no more than $700 HKD in order to receive the Internet programming…”
What? An internet programming not available elsewhere but to those who bought their decoder?
This sounds like cable TV without he cable but via internet. So, what is so unique or breakthrough about it? Same old, same old stuff in a new bottle!!!!
Not the same if the series will be free to watch? While cable you have to pay a monthly free?
This article seems to be different from the news I read. Earlier news said the receiver was only 100HKD.
The article is a bit misleading. During his press conference, Ricky Wong stated that those who go with the Mobile TV service would need to purchase a box that would cost no more than one hundred something dollars…the $700 figure is for those with more sophisticated needs, such as those people who watch TV in their cars and would therefore need to purchase a ‘car kit’.
And again, there are 2 different services being offered here — one is the Internet service (which does not need any type of decoder / set-top box, etc…all that’s needed is an internet connection) and the other is Mobile TV service, which is the option that requires the box/decoder/adapter thing.
You guys may want to either watch Ricky Wong’s press conference directly or read up on the issue from various news sources, as it seems that the way the Media is reporting things is causing some confusion…
It would be nice if overseas viewers somehow can watch all the HKTV stuff at a much lower fee per month compared to TVB.
I know you can download everything (including TV-series), but for older people that’s not a good option.
Well, from what I’ve read so far, it does sound like the content will be available to overseas viewers, though I’m sure this will be confirmed more in the months to come.
Based on the outline of the process on HKTV’s Facebook page, it sounds like there are actually 2 services being offered: one is the OTT service which is available to anyone who was a mobile device with 3G/4G connection or Wifi (which theoretically should include overseas viewers as well) and the second is the service via China Mobile Hong Kong, which, to my understanding, will function a bit like cable TV in that you will need a special box thing to connect to your TV in order to view the content…I’m thinking that the China Mobile service will only be available in HK, whereas the OTT service will likely be available overseas.
Anyway, I’m sure more details will come in the coming months….after all, July 2014 is still a while away….
GREAT
Very happy to hear that. Ricky, you are a great boss.
Yea, Right!
He only fires and rehires people at will and according to his convenience.
I would not say it like that since he really did not think he can function without the license so he did not think he can afford to hire so many people. But now that he has another route to go, he decides or rehire them again. It does sound a bit odd but you cannot really blame him for all that has been going on.
That may or may not be true, but at the end of the day, who are we to judge when the employees he fired didn’t have a problem with it? None of the 320 staff that he laid off complained about it nor did they blame him for it — and almost all of them said that they would work for him again in a heartbeat if he were to approach them. So why should we have such a hard time accepting it?
He is a great boss because he has tried very hard to find out a way to rescue his employees.
How would you even know if none of the 320 staff complained?
too bad we have illegal streaming so most people will be watching all the dramas for free
that’s great. hope it’s available to canada. 😛
Am I the only one not so excited about it? I’m not interested in the actors and actress they have. So even if the production is great, there is no one I want to watch. Frankie lam in almost all the dramas? Mandy, yoyo mung? No thanks. All the other old and not popular ones don’t feel like watching them.
I’ll stick with tvb dramas even though not many good scripts but all my favorite idols are in tvb. This is just my view. Did not say hktv not good but I’m not interested until they have Tavia, Myolie, Linda, Bosco, raymond, Moses, Ruco, Kenneth etc… 🙂
Not all TV audiences watch shows based on actores/actressses. There are some (though I’m sure will be the minority), that watch shows based on plot, acting, and production value. Frankly, I don’t care how handsome or pretty the actors and actresses are, as long as they’re not ugly.
Well-said! We might be in the minority, but there AER some of us who actually value quality acting and good scripts over ‘eye-candy’ artists who look good on screen but might not have the talent to match. I personally don’t care if an artist is ugly-looking or whatnot …if they have acting talent, I will still watch their performances and respect them as an actor/actress.
Very good comment; love it.
true…important is the story and its plot.
You should look set other aspects instead of just the cast only.
As I’ve said, for me I only watch a drama based on the cast first and they have to be not bad looking. That goes with movies. If a drama or movie have someone that I don’t know or is not popular… I am not interested. But the ideal world is cast is great and script/production is great!
Of course there are lots of people that watch drama because of good scripts, quality and production. That’s fine. Hktv is for those people. Again I am not saying hktv is not good. All I’m saying is I rather watch my FAMOUS idols at tvb.
If you just care for cast then good luck in trying to enjoy any series. I feel a series with just a good cast only is so meaningless.
If you are talking about unknown cast I can understand. I will be turn-off too.
But the cast is not exactly unknown. People recognised them.
Yes people recognize them but do they know their real name? I don’t know the names for about 80% of hktv actors and actresses. The 20% are the popular ones from tvb such as Mandy, yoyo, Frankie, har yu.
Except their popularity is not high as to TVB doing.
Again, it’s a matter of perspective. Like with me for example, I know the names and faces of more than 80% of HKTV’s actors and actresses and majority of them are artists whom I grew up watching, so of course the affinity for those artists will be there. By the same token, I also grew up with alot of the artists still at TVB and still have alot of favorites over there as well, so definitely will still have an affinity with them as well.
Though I will be honest and say that nowadays, there are so many newbies at TVB that sometimes, it makes no difference to me whether I’m watching a TVB series or not because I don’t recognize some of the people anyway…in that case, might as well look at the script, plot, production values, and everything else rather than just the cast.
What’s wrong with those stars? Some of them are way better actors than the ones you’re naming from TVB. I for one am excited to watch Frankie Lam dramas. Miss him so much.
Also, like others said, the plot, production, etc. are also just as important and it’s sad you just limit yourself to watch for the stars that you like only.
AWESOME! EXCITED! just can’t wait! XD
Happy for this guy its a start for him
How can the company make money? The advertisement market is totally different, and with all illegal streaming who would pay the subscription. Netflix, Hulu succeed because it is different viewers and they don’t produce.
I’m sure Ricky Wong knows how to make money.
lol, they’re operating at a loss at this point. No way is offering an online subscription service enough to offset his initial investment.
HKTV may be operating at a loss at the moment, but one thing is for sure – Ricky Wong absolutely knows how to make money. Read through his bio and you’ll see how he’s able to seize on certain opportunities and find a way to generate income, even if the situation looks dismal. The guy is very smart and most importantly, he has a very very strong drive to succeed, which is one reason why he’s been able to hold up this long and rebound so quickly each time.
Personally, I don’t understand all the ‘hate’ towards Ricky Wong and HKTV. I mean, honestly, it’s not like he’s committing a crime or something – sure, some of us may feel that he’s taking a huge risk by investing so much money in something that he may not get a whole lot of ROI for…but, it’s Ricky’s own money, so why should we care? Hey, if Ricky wants to take all his own hard-earned money and throw it in the ocean, who are we to say he can’t or shouldn’t do it? Sorry, but throughout this whole licensing issue thing, I’ve never understood the whole “he’s going to fail because there won’t be enough advertising” argument and why that should be the determining factor for why he shouldn’t even be given the chance to pursue his business venture. The way I see it – let him do what he wants to do as long as he’s not breaking any laws and if it fails, then it’s on him….what’s the point of bashing him and everyone associated with him and his company just because he’s trying to do something different?
agree ilwy he knows how to make money,but this time i think his heart is greater than his brains,he will succeed or will loose all
his money in this risky adventure,there is no way back now.he encounter fierce competitors like tvb,and i think pccw from richard li who also has great plans to built a whole new tv empire is difficult to beat. plus he has to face mainland,korean,japanese drama’s too.
@kolo: That’s a valid point and it’s very possible that this could end up being the ‘venture’ that breaks his pocket book. But the main point from my perspective is that even if this whole thing goes bust and Ricky loses all his money, why should that be our concern? If he’s willing to take the risk and throw all his money into fulfilling his dream of making a difference in the HK television industry, that’s his prerogative — I don’t see why people (not you necessarily but people in general) need to be concerned about whether he’s getting in over his head or whether he will succeed or fail.
With all that said, one advantage I feel Ricky Wong does have that the other two licensees (i.e. Richard Li and that other guy who owns i-Cable) don’t is the ‘heart’ to build a TV empire — meaning that Ricky is willing to devote 100% of his time and energy to pursuing that goal, whereas with the other two, it sounds more like ‘just another business offshoot’ that they don’t really care as much about in the grander scheme of things (i.e. their other business ventures that bring in the big bucks and perhaps require more of their time). Being successful isn’t always about the money — having the drive and passion is just as important in my opinion.
This is precisely the reason why even if I may not like Ricky Wong as a person and may not agree with some of the stuff he does or says, I still have a certain amount of respect for him and appreciate what he’s trying to do (and has already done) for the HK television industry. Like Fat Gor (Chow Yun Fat) said a few months back when the licensing decision was announced — at the very least, Ricky Wong was willing to throw millions of dollars into the HK television industry despite knowing full well that the money could go to waste, which shows that he has the ‘heart’ to support the entertainment industry…that’s way more than what the HK government has done to support the entertainment industry in the past decade.
i have respect for his drive and energy to chase after his dream.i hope he will succeed.if he fail,at least he has tried to bring hk drama’s to a higher level.this could be a long war and in the end the audience is the winner.
I can say he is a survivor.
He is a survivor but for how long…. His company is on the stock exchange. If I am a stockholder to HKTV, I be damn sure they need to make a profit now, and not wait long in a long run.
What? HKTV is traded publically? I would like to know who still hold a long position on the stock after Wong already had pi$$ed away most of their capital. LOL!
That’s why they will probably fail. Netflix, Hulu, etc all produce a few of their own series but the majority of it is content they buy. Their original series would not get the audience without drawing in people with their established content. People keep saying hktv is for the younger crowd which is silly since most of the artists they poached are the older ones from tvb that the younger crowd doesn’t care about.
Again, like I stated earlier, the mainstream Media has been focusing mostly on the artists poached from other stations, which I would agree are mostly the ‘older’ veteran artists (though there are quite a few young ones in there as well)…but that doesn’t mean all of HKTV’s artists are old. They actually do have ALOT of younger artists (i.e. those in their 20s and 30s) filming for them, it’s just that they are either newbies or are lesser known, so the Media doesn’t bother much reporting on them. From a casting perspective, I don’t think audiences need to worry about not having enough ‘younger’ artists to look at because there will be plenty…if you’re looking for younger artists, then when HKTV releases their series, watch the ones that feature those artists — i.e. that vampire series with Danson Tang, which is being billed as an ‘idol’ series so of course most of the main cast will be young people; the musical Fantasy Love Song also consists mostly of a younger cast; the supernatural / time travel series Second Life has a pretty good mix of younger and older cast; Felix Wong’s detective series (the one that his daughter Adrian is a part of) is also comprised of a relatively young main cast….if you want even younger, then check out the one that revolves around various events that take place at an elementary school — aside from the Principal and a few of the teachers, the rest of the cast is made up of children and teens. There are a few others as well, but some of them are still being filmed currently.
Also, the other reason why we say that HKTV is more for the younger crowd (meaning the non-housewife crowd that TVB caters to) is because that’s the audience that would be more willing to accept the different genres of dramas that HKTV has (and here, I do have to say that HKTV does have an advantage over TVB in the drama department in that their series covers all types of genres and topics, no holds barred…whereas TVB has very strict ‘rules’ and doesn’t allow series covering particular topics to be produced). With HKTV, it’s possible to have a series for practically every genre/topic you can think of, since they don’t place restrictions on their production teams from a creativity standpoint (doesn’t matter if the topic/subject is ‘controversial’, HKTV will still film it). Basically, there’s a higher probability of finding ‘something for everyone’ with HKTV’s series…
Nice … i wish those of use who lives overseas have the opportunity to watch these HKTV dramas. Something to look forward too … something different. So sick of TVB recyling scripts and stars. Some of them (stars) i like, but seeing them in drama after drama is freaking boring.
You likely to see via torrent or download links from pirate download sites if you overseas to see the HKTV dramas.
Trang,
You should try watching China series or productions from other countries. There is more than just TVB. The problem with online is, you wonder if HKTV will make any profit??
I’ll give them a year.
I personally do not support Ricky Wong and his so called HKTV. he doesn’t have the strategies, he only know how to poach(stealing) tvb artists, and do not know to train their own. hktv is only using tvb to boost their name. in the future, they won’t succeed
all their drama trailer actually sucks and boring
Sounds like you don’t have the whole story either….
Who says that HKTV doesn’t train their own artists? They actually do have their own artists’ training classes and had their first batch of graduates from it last year (former child actress Wong Mei Kei was a graduate of that class, along with a few others whose names escape me at the moment) – it’s just that the mainstream Media has been focusing most of the attention on the artists that were poached from other stations and not bothering to report on the lesser known ones who graduated from those classes.
This is what I mean when I say I don’t understand all the ‘hate’ towards Ricky Wong and HKTV – most of the ‘reasoning’ that has been provided so far is ‘generalized’ stuff that is based on misinformation or general assumptions.
Of course, everyone has the right to their opinion and no one is asking you to support RW or HKTV….but before making such ‘irresponsible’ general statements such as “I don’t support them because they don’t know how to train their own people”, or “HKTV sucks”, please do a little bit of research first…otherwise, it’s an unfair assessment to make….
agreed
This bandwagon of internet tv could be the next big thing in entertainment. Reminds me of story of digital camera vs film. Kodak failed to adapt and it was disastrous. More and more people are embracing internet tv. All the best to Ricky Wong.
Personally, I am excited as I always wished Hong Kong has something like Netflix and Hulu since downloading and streaming illegally is not fair to the actors/actresses. As for Ricky Wong stealing TVB artists, I don’t look at it that way. I feel it is better opportunities for the artists themselves such as software engineers go from Google/Facebook/Amazon to Goggle/Facebook/Amazon. I do think it is the news that make a bigger deal out of it than what it is.
I agree with you. Sure, poaching other companies’ artists may not be the most ‘ethical’ approach, but honestly, what company out there doesn’t do it? ATV did it, i-Cable and NowTV did it, even TVB has done it — so why is it all of a sudden such a ‘wrong’ thing when Ricky Wong / HKTV does it? Besides, like the artists themselves have said — what’s wrong with going to a company that’s better suited for them and treats them better?
To me, I honestly feel that the Media blew this whole poaching thing out of proportion…first of all, all of the artists who left TVB for HKTV waited until their contracts were up before doing so (some even told Ricky Wong to wait until their contracts were up to approach them). Plus majority of the ones who left were people whom TVB didn’t seem to care about anyway, since many of them were not contacted for contract renewal (i.e. their contracts were weeks from expiring and artists department didn’t reach out to them to negotiate a renewal versus other artists whose contracts are months away from expiring and get contacted way upstream). The way I see it, TVB artists interviewing with HKTV is no different than an employee working for their current company interviewing for a better job at another company….with the way the economy is nowadays, how many people would actually quit their jobs first (and risk being unemployed for who knows how long) BEFORE looking at the option of going with another company that could possibly give them a better opportunity?
Well said!
I don’t see the harm in asking a rival station’s actors if they are interested since it is common practice for every station. Especially if those actors are mistreated and you are offering them a better life or work environment.
back when this first all started and was referred to as CTI or something like that, i was genuinely interested in watching the dramas because they seemed interesting and differnet. even though i love TVB dramas and I’m not as familiar with HKTV’s actors, I was willing to give it a try even if that meant TVB would have competition and be in a vulnerable position.
But now that I’ve heard more about it and seen the different news reports, I honestly don’t want to give HKTV a chance anymore b/c I don’t agree or like Ricky Wong’s way of doing business. He is too arrogant and is counting his chickens before they hatch. It’s good to have goals and persevere towards them, but now I feel like he’s just desperate and finding whatever means it takes..even if that is streaming online which I don’t find a smart idea at all when thinking of it in terms of long term success.
Same here. How long can hktv last? The first year will be refreshing got something new to watch but after that I am not sure. Good luck to him. He is already in debt!! How to make money I am not sure. Audience 30 and over might not like streaming online on mobile or iPad. People in their 50s or 60s will probably stay with TV.
the reason why i think TVB dramas have been successful (more so in the past than now due to their declining quality, but that’s not the point) is because of their ability to cater to families. watching TV dramas has become a family tradition to gather around the dinner table and watch tv together or on sundays watching Super Trio or other game shows.
though we’re living in a technology based world and streaming online seems realistic, like JCLL said, it won’t reach the other audience and it wouldn’t bring that sense of satisfaction of gathering around the living room to watch a drama together. that is what i enjoy the most and would rather do that than stream online.
You guys are speaking way too soon and who said that you cannot stream series and videos from the computer and watch on your TV?? Many of my cousins,uncles and aunts all do it. It is true that the older generations like my mom is not into tech stuff, but my brothers and I do it for her to watch. Many are watching series online these days and only have an electronic version instead of a solid DVD set for example. That is part of the reason why the sales for DVD sets and discs have dropped. But of course for oldies like me, we still like to have solid DVDs for collection because technology is not always reliable.
I guess you guys still live in the olden days where there was no technology. I miss those days too and admit that TVB bought my family and I sooo many sweet and touching memories that I will always cherish. However, with technology and the net, it makes it easier to get access to series and shows, both new and old so I think it is a good route that RIcky is taking and is a good alternative to not getting the license.
I am actually not a fan but must say that I admire Ricky’s efforts in trying to change things for television viewers in HK as well as the cast and crew. TVB has been dominating the television scene in HK for over 40 years but they are starting to go downhill in the recent years. They also do not seem to care at all about their cast and crew members by overworking them and paying so little. Ricky is trying to change that and hopefully he is falls through in that aspect. In China, the cast and crew get sufficient rest so they can perform well. I still wonder why TVB chooses to continue over working their cast,crew and other employees?
Guess if people like watching this guys dramas he might get his license
commence in July 2014, same time World Cup 2014 at Brazil
So fricken awesome!!
I just hope they offer it overseas as well and I pray they have english subs.
I would totally support them and buy the box if they made it available in the states.
I hope they can create a profitable station this way and hopefully this gives them more freedom than they otherwise would have had if they had to obey HK /Mainland broadcast laws.
Would be the ultimate burn on TVB and the government!
This is great. Way to go Ricky!
I’m not too convinced with his approaches but best wishes to him and his company. I think it is good to have competition but I am more excited about NowTV than his company sadly. I personally wouldn’t fork out $700 HKD just to watch HKTV dramas despite some of my the TVB artistes I watched are now at HKTV.
And it’s not completely “free free” if consumers have to buy a receiver that is worth $700 HKD ($96.69 CAD) before watching it on their smartphones or pay a subscription fee and then able to access the free channels and content.
If it only costs HK$700.00 to buy a receiver to watch HKTV, it is peanut. However, if people have to pay a subscription fee every month, it is a different story.
I wouldn’t consider it to be peanut. I rather buy new clothes, new smartphone with $96.69 than buying a receiver. Not to mention if it is sold in BC, it can be very costly. If it is without tax, then in CAD dollars right here in BC, the total cost is $108.29 (not to mention, I haven’t even added the ridiculous electronic recycling tax). If the $96.69 cost includes tax, it is more expensive than the subscription to the Chinese channel subscription package!
whoops I mean the cost is still more expensive than the chinese channels package at shaw.
To @Bubblez, I don’t know what tv provider you have but it costs like $17 a MONTH (not including the basic digital package) with Rogers to sign up for Fairchild and the chinese tv package here. I rather pay a one time fee of $100 rather than $200 every year to watch fairchild’s terrible self produced programs and TVB dramas.
My parents pay $10 for the Chinese channels..
My main point is that this $700 HKD fee may be “cheap” or as Sandcherry says “peanut” in HK but how they set the price in regions outside of HK would determine whether or not people outside of HK would buy a receiver, considering that in some countries, there is an electronic fee plus other fees ranging from several cents to several dollars. And since it’s offered on mobile devices and tablets, my other concern is which mobile devices will the receiver be offered on and will the cost for that specific receiver for that specific phone/tablet be the same or different?
But either way, in order for it to appeal to people outside of HK, the cost of the service will have to be equal or less than the Netflix cost (which is $7.99 per month), which currently HKTV does not look like it’s going to be cheap.
People should stop paying Fairchild TV, its overprice crap. There are better ways to watch TVB dramas & shows….
I think people who are really interested would be willing to buy a box to watch or pay a subscription fee if necessary — though of course, it also depends on where you live. People who live in HK for instance might be less willing to fork out money for a box because the whole ‘free TV’ thing has been so prevalent for many years, whereas here in the U.S., it’s the opposite in that more people have Cable than they do ‘regular’ free TV, so we would be more inclined to pay for the service (since we’re doing it anyway with the other cable channels…).
For me personally, it’s a moot point because the way I see it, I’m already paying to watch TVB right now anyway despite their lack of quality programs (though I will say that the TVB channels we pay for here are way better than the ‘free’ version that Hong Kongers get, mainly because we get alot of content — i.e. re-runs of really old series and other programs — that are only available on TVB’s pay channels in HK…). What HKTV has to offer can’t be any worse than what TVB already offers right now, so if I’m willing to pay to watch TVB, then of course I’d be willing to pay to watch HKTV. Again, it depends on what each person’s preferences are and it’s hard to determine what the ‘majority’ of audience would do in this day and age, which is why it’s unfair to say that HKTV for sure won’t succeed. It definitely doesn’t hurt for them to try.
Fairchild is OVERPRICED?
My parents pay $10 every month to Shaw but we get 2 other Chinese channels besides Fairchild and TV (before it was five) until they charged extra for one of them.
And actually, much of their expenses for Fairchild probably goes towards the two pageants, singing contests and whatnot.
I’m interested in seeing how things work but if we are to compare their soon-to-be services to Netflix, I rather choose Netflix since it’s cheap.
oh btw, TV= talentvision.
Fairchild is over priced crap, you pay more then buying a set top box like TVPad. Most of the programming you can watch it online anytime and could care less in local news front; just hear it on radio station or other free sources.
As of now, we are not given much information of how it will work for overseas viewers as well as the different adapter costs for mobile users, the fee being one-time or monthly fee, the issue of time-zone differences, etc. But like I said above, the monthly fee or one-time fee has to be be BETTER or cost the same as Netflix in order for it to appeal to the people who are already using Netflix (monthly cost= $7.99, yearly cost= $95.88 but you can always cancel anytime).
The reason why I’m saying the cost of the Chinese channel packages at Shaw is a bit better, cheaper because the people who pay it gets the HD channel (free for now), talentvision, LST and CCTV. If you divide 10 by 4 channels, the cost per each channel is only 2.50 each. And you really should be targeting the channel costs at CRTC and the other telecommunication providers, not Fairchild since they do not have much say in the channel package costs.
But for HKTV channels, they did say that some of it is paid material which means that the $96.06 CAD fee won’t cover all the channels that you’re given. so let’s say, only 3 out of the 5 channels are “free free” and the cost is $96.06 (assuming the taxes are included), that means a person is paying $32.02 per each channel.. But if the $96.06 fee for the receiver doesn’t include the PST/GST tax and the electronic recycling fee, the total cost is 107.58 and assuming 3/5 channels are free, 2 of them are paid on top of that $96.06, then you’re paying $35 per channel.
If it’s one-time fee, then it’s okay, but I don’t see it as “cheap” since you’re paying $32.02 per channel… If it is monthly fee, then it’s not a “peanut” cost for a foreigner.
It doesn’t matter which provider that you paid. You are subscribing to Fairchild, they overcharged you people. Still is today. One time charge on a set-top-box is much better then paying as a subscription.
“It doesn’t matter which provider that you paid. You are subscribing to Fairchild, they overcharged you people. Still is today. One time charge on a set-top-box is much better then paying as a subscription.”
^ Yes you are subscribing to Fairchild but depending on your provider, the cost for that same channel will differ. Eg: Rogers charge $17 for a basic Cantonese package but Shaw only charge $10 for 4 channels.. here in Canada, CRTC are the ones who set the CRITERIA for a basic digital TV package (eg. set what is FREE with your package, what’s paid). It is the responsibility of the telecommunication providers (eg. Shaw, Bell, Rogers, telus) to follow suit OR they will be fined. And then it’s up to the telecommunication providers to set the packages including pricing accordingly..
My dad pays additional $10 for Animal Planet and Discovery Science. The total cost is $10 but my dad pays $5 per each of these channel. Same package pricing for the Cantonese package except we get FOUR channels (LS times, FTV, TV and Phoenix) for $10. And if you divide 10 by 4 channels, my dad is only paying $2.50 per channel. And if you go for the Mandarin package at Shaw, you get FIVE channels for $10, paying only $2 per channel.. And of course, if you look at yearly costs, people like you say it’s “overcharged” but Internet TV and cable/free TV are two different things, which means the costs will be different.
The rules for channels packaging are determined by Canadian Radio-Television Communications (aka CRTC) and then the attribution of the packages, what’s in channel packages, how much the package will cost is determined by the TELECOMMUNICATION providers NOT the channel companies. Not to mention the average cost in most specialty channels packages cost around $10, which is then split among the # of channels in that specific package.
Bubblez, are you suggesting that Fairchild + Talentvision + LST TV for $10CAD/month ($120/year) in BC will be BETTER THAN HKTV’s one-time fee of $100 for a set-top box of 3-5 channnels of the latest and greatest entetainment, in which it pays for itself in a year (compared to Shaw)? If you still think FTV is better, please give your head a shake because you simply defy logic.
Fairchild TV is absolute garbage.
No, I am not suggesting that but right now, we are not given much information of how it will work for overseas viewers as well as the different adapter costs for mobile users, the fee being one-time or monthly fee, the issue of time-zone differences, etc. But like I said above, the monthly fee or one-time fee has to be worth it or appeal to the people who are already using Netflix (yearly cost= $95.88 but you can always cancel anytime).
And the reason why I’m saying the cost of the Chinese channel packages at Shaw is a bit better because the people who pay it gets the HD channel (free for now), talentvision, LST and CCTV. If you divide 10 by 4, the cost per each channel is only 2.50 each. And you really should be targeting the channel costs at CRTC and the other telecommunication providers, not Fairchild since they are the ones that do not set the channel prices!
But for HKTV channels, they did say that some of it is paid material which means that the $100 fee won’t cover all the channels that you’re given. so let’s say, only 3 out of the 5 channels are “free free”, that means a person is paying $33 per each channel..
I hope HKTV is successful in their internet broadcasting venture!
The dramas hktv have is not really family dramas. Some are very violent, gross and scary which is not suitable for families with young kids. The plot can be confusing or too deep for people to understand. So families can’t really enjoy watching hktv dramas as a family during dinner time or before 10 pm?? Majority of the population will still watch tvb. What I would do is watch tvb during 7-10 pm time slot and then watch hktv dramas after 10 pm.
U think those hktv actors will let their kids watch the drama they are in? Will Frankie lam let his daughter watch his plastic surgery drama? Another actress (already a mom) is in that very scary ghost hktv drama, will she let her child watch her? But tvb artist can easily watch their drama together with their families (including young children) during dinner time.
Nowadays TVvB dramas r lack of quality, creativity & viewer retention power. Sometime it plots r rather insulting viewers intelligent. Hav a open mind & heart! Learn to giv other a chance!!. All your so call idols started as no one!!.
I’m sure Ricky Wong and HKTV know that their dramas won’t please everyone, which is fine because the reality is that their target audience is different from TVB’s (TVB still targets the housewife crowd even now and will continue to do so into the future)…HKTV’s audience is the younger crowd (i.e. 20s to 40s) — the working class who lead busy lives and may not necessarily go home and sit in front of the TV every day. Besides, the days of families gathering around the TV set to watch dramas together is pretty much an ‘exception’ nowadays rather than the rule….in the technologically advanced world that we live in now, the traditional concept of family gathering together every day to watch TV is pretty much gone.
Case in point…why do you think TVB started really focusing on ramping up their MyTV thing the past few years? Granted, some of their programs used to be available to watch on their website in the past as well, but they never devoted much time or resource to maintaining it (which is why it was crap in the past)…today, the MyTV thing is a major component of their business and they’re constantly pushing the fact that audiences who happen to miss their shows don’t have to worry because they can always go on MyTV to watch. This tells me that even TVB recognizes the heavy role that technology plays as well as the reality that most audiences don’t actually sit in front of a television set to watch TV anymore.
Wow, wow, wow, you have put this LIAR on a pedestal with a golden halo around his head.
So? And you have a problem with that? What’s your point? Whether Ricky Wong is a liar or not seems irrelevant in this discussion, no? As long as HKTV follows through with their internet television launch and we get to watch their series (so we can judge for ourselves whether the overall quality is truly better or not), why does it matter what kind of person Ricky Wong is? Honestly, I don’t give a crap whether Ricky Wong is arrogant, high profile, liar, cheater, backstabber, womanizer, green, blue, purple, pink, magenta, etc….to me, that has nothing to do with whether I’m willing to support HKTV or watch their series….at the end of the day, it’s the end product (HKTV’s programs) that counts.
Agree with llwy12. We only care about the programs and drama series of HKTV and not its boss (Ricky Wong). In fact, I “admire” Ricky Wong’s dedication, confidence, and enthusiasm in running HKTV after his failure in getting a licence from HK Government. He did not want to give up easily.
Ricky Wong could be a liar, but who is not in big businesses? Are you sure none of the top executives in TVB are not liars?
I also think the end product is what is important after all who is not a liar in the business world.
I do not understand why some of you hate Ricky so much? He is only try to chase after his dream and I do not see anything wrong with that. He sacrificed a lot of his money, efforts and time just to not get a license in the end. However, he still decided not to give up which makes him admirable because others would just give up, but he did not. He just still trying his best and many set goals but yet never reach them in the end, so does that make them a liar?? Also, who in this world does NOT lie??Especially those in this e circle and business and we all know well how all of the artists constantly lie through their teeth even when caught red handed.
lol.your funny.Sounds like u stil live in the 1950’s.
LOL, how do you guys know if their dramas are great? Simply watching the trailers is not enough to determine the quality of the dramas. So I think we shouldn’t be too excited until we really watch the whole thing.
By watching episode one of HKTV’s Borderline Police on Youtube? if you haven’t already? 🙂 As well as their Long Episode 1 previews of every series?
You really have to watch the entire series to get the feel. One episode is not enough especially when they show that episode, it is already compare to TVB product like = means not a great success.
How come nobody point out that Ricky Wong signed the deal with China Mobile on August 16th 2013 that is 9 days before the HK Govt announced that his application for a free TV license was rejected. On the same day I.e August 25th when he learned about the rejection Ricky Wong stated that he has NO plan B and immediately laid off 300 staff. At the same time his staff and ex staff started the protests. Is this a lie to mislead people when in fact another deal had been reached with China Mobile??
Your timeline doesn’t even make sense, as the license decision was announced by the government in October, NOT August.
But just to clarify anyway….according to representatives from China Mobile, the discussions were completed in August and agreement was reached between the 2 parties at that time, however the contract was only signed in December — if that’s the case, it makes sense why Ricky Wong would hold off on announcing, since it wasn’t final yet…he probably learned his lesson with the way the free license thing was going, though of course, he might have had ulterior motives as well — we will never know for sure.
Was it a lie to mislead people or was it not? Who knows and who cares? And how is that relevant in terms of HKTV launching mobile / internet TV services?
Yes I made a typing mistake HK government announced the result of the free tv license on Oct 25th not August. No need to get up in a huff and a puff to defend your hero. He is still a LIAR to declare that he has NO plan B when in fact he has already signed the deal with China Mobile. I suggest you to read the article in http://www.scmp.com, this was actually brought up in a Legco meeting recent,t. Your golden boy could do no wrong my dear so it’s really pointless to ask you to read the HK news.
Hmmm…I smell a troll (or perhaps a psychotic HKTV/Ricky Wong hater)…
Anyway, as I said in my post above….even if Ricky Wong did lie about not having a plan B, so what? Who ever said he’s a saint who can do no wrong? I sure didn’t — if you bother to read any of my past posts in other articles and forums, you’ll see what my opinion has been and continues to be about Ricky Wong…
And honestly, why should I care whether he’s a liar or not? He’s not family, relative, friend, acquaintance, associate or anything to me…what I care more about is HKTV as a company as well as the artists and behind-the-scenes people who work for them. I also don’t think highly of TVB’s management / execs / owners either, but yet I continue to support TVB because of the company itself and the artists who work for them…
So basically, no need to keep harping on Ricky Wong’s faults, at least not directed towards me, because I’m already well aware of how he is and more importantly, I don’t give a crap.
Oh and lastly…I already read that particular article the day it came out, so yes, it’s ‘pointless’ to ask me to read HK news because I already do it on a daily basis….
A good and successful businessman always has several plans in running his big business. If he did not have them, he would have lost all his investments and be responsible for the loss of his investors. Therefore, we cannot blame him for having Plan B, C, or D.
It’s funny that you would call someone a psychotic HKTV/Ricky Wong hater when you jump in all the time to defend them. Just because you read the hk news daily doesn’t mean that your opinion is always right.
There’s a difference between defending someone blindly (like an obsessed fan) and speaking the truth from a neutral standpoint. Ilwy is basically speaking up on what is correct/hard facts on this issue. I see nothing wrong since a lot of users can’t read Chinese and only relies on a few translated articles that could be misinterpreted, translated wrong, rumors, etc. Wouldn’t you want to be informed with facts and form an educated opinion rather than be ill-informed with rumors/gossips/ half truths and be ignorant?
@tiffany: Odd, I did not see llwy12 insisting her “opinion is always right”, all she did was argue her different pov and quite well I might add, that’s all.
Indeed, like her, “what I care more about is HKTV as a company as well as the artists and behind-the-scenes people who work for them. ”
I too root for HKTV to do well and succeed as a viable profitable company.
I wonder why mockinggenius hates Ricky/HKTV so much? it is already so sad that he did not get a license in the end, but yet he is still trying.. I wonder if he/she hates Ricky because they are a big die hard TVB fan that is afraid of Ricky and HKTV??
What is the big deal if he lied? I think in his case, his “lie” is appropriate after everything that has happened. Maybe he did not want to reveal his back up plan so suddenly after not getting the license?? WHo in this world is perfect and who does not lie? As long as your lies do not hurt others directly and intentionally, then what is the big deal??
Wildberries bought up a good point that many users here cannot read Chinese or are just lazy to read(I admit that I am one of the lazy ones) and just rely on a few translated articles and then just jump to conclusions. Remember that things are often lost in translation and that some of these articles here are not translated word for word in many cases. I remember I once read an article that was just a summary of the actual source so many things were misinterpreted, lost in translation, omitted,etc… Therefore, I got the wrong idea, but then I read the actual Chinese article and realized how different the translations/articles were. That was when I realized how inaccurate a lot the info from these translated/summarized articles were.
I just wanted to add that I hate it when people lie too, but it really depends on the situation and why they do it and whether it hurts others or not. But in Ricky’s case, I don’t think he truly hurt anyone.
As much as I want to support hktv…I watched the first episode of police boundaries but it was SOOOO BORING. And that probably one of their more anticipated series already… I really wanted to support their dramas but…quite disappointing
Agree. Their dramas dont fit my palate
Yeah, it wasn’t very good. It felt like it was trying too hard, but felt a little illogical. We complain a lot about TVB’s pacing being way too slow with nothing happening, but Borderline moved way too fast with too much going on.
It was only the first episode though. I still want to watch their programs because of the high production values and their willingness to take on different subject matter.
lol I don’t know what you were watching but Episode 1 of borderline actually made my entire family sit at the tv or computer while watching the entire episdoe without forwarding or going on facebook, etc. That says about about their quality and great storyline! They kept the audience at the edge of their seat without boring introduction of every single character or unnecessary family scenes in a Cop series.
OMG SAME. I thought I was the only one who think their dramas are mediocre…
Those 300 staff who lost their jobs on October 25 2013 were left in limbo for close to 60’days while their ex boss has actually signed a deal with China Mobile in August. Now he came out to announce his “surprise” in December and he will rehire them. Very manipulating action.
There can be many legitimate business/commercial reasons why he couldn’t reveal it at the time the licensing decision was announced so I don’t think you can really make a big deal out of it unless you have any further insight into this aspect.
Agree. There could be some other legal or commercial reasons for him not to reveal it. We are only outsiders, and will not know the details.
Watch Ricky Wong’s press conference…one of the reporters actually asked him a similar question and he actually explained why he didn’t make the announcement earlier. Of course, after you watch the entire press con, you can still insist that everything Ricky Wong said in it is a lie…that’s your opinion and you are definitely welcome to it. I’m sure after everyone else watches it, they can make the determination for themselves whether Ricky Wong purposefully lied and manipulated his employees…again, everyone has freedom of choice to believe what they want to believe.
I bet he has reasons to do so and he has explained why already, but it is up to you to believe it or not. I feel that it is not good to lie, but if you have good reasons and explain why, then I do not think we need to keep on holding grudges.
Good! More choices to choose from!
Please. Ricky wong is not a great boss. Like anyone else who want to make money, he only care about the bottom line (how to earn more money). For those of you that are so naïve, wake up and smell the coffee.
His staff will surely find out later. We don’t have to worry about it.
true 🙂
Who does not want to make money when you have a business?? Afterall that is what business is all about, making money!! But of course you should think about the well being of your employees and all too.. Hasn’t TVB been exploiting their employees for many many years and are still doing so??? They work their cast and crew like crazy and pay sooo little. The still continue to do so. Whether Ricky will do so or not,time will tell… However, I think if he was smart, he would not do so or else he will be just like another TVB and I do not think he wants to be like TVB.
Ah, he took my advice! 😀 … I hope they have English subtitle so I can watch the series.
Ricky Wong and hktv would definitely fail. dramas are boring with alot of unknown faces, known ones are all stolen from tvb. he will definitely not make it. I agree with director Wong jing’s comment on Ricky. dayo wong made a smart move on not accepting hktv invite because of the bad management inside hktv company(which they have not solved yet)
You’re a HKTV Hater. Enough said.
Yeah to Ricky. Boo Hoo to will.
Another Ricky and HKTV hater so what is new??
Another Ricky and HKTV fans so what is new??
I found the interview where Ricky elaborated on the the two services and his future with HKTV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUgk-k2jlhk
Interesting approach.. :S
Thanks for posting the link to the full press conference, as it’s obvious from the comments in this thread that most people here can benefit from watching it….at least this way, people can hear the details firsthand from Ricky Wong rather than the ‘watered down’ version from the Media.
By the way…some of the reporters actually asked some very good questions…though it’s interesting that several of them kept bringing up the politics piece. And I found it funny that the TVB reporter was the only one to ask about the possibility of buying ATV (can’t remember if the ATV reporters asked anything though).
Good luck “good boss”
I find it hilarious that a person would choose to watch a television show based on whether or not they like the owner of the tv station.
Watched an episode of the police series and the travelogue about the cave in Vietnam – it was very interesting and thought filmed in high quality.
TVB used to do travelogues back in the days too. I do not know if they still do or not. I watched the one with Carrie Choi when sent to Vietnam with this other actor but I forgot who it was.
Meant when she went… Gosh I really need the edit button.
What a noob ricky. People are doing for profit but he only doing it for revenge or vengeance. See how much money he can afford to lose lar at the end he will not earn any money. Sore loser!
Bad news for HKTV: China Mobile in Mainland China is investigating the deal if the parent company violates the China’s regulators on the deal. Since China Mobile has a lot ties to the all mighty Communist Party…. This could get VERY intresting and maybe ANOTHER set back for Ricky Wong.
Am I correct to say the allmighty communist party is in full force all out to stop Ricky Wong?
Ricky Wong and his pals for some reason has a bad relationship with the communist party. Freedom of speech is becoming useless 🙁
It is china we are talking about. They can’t even film time travels. At least it isn’t North Korea.