Hong Kong scraps 24-hour BBC World Service radio channel despite criticism

[webfact]

Hong Kong scraps 24-hour BBC World Service radio channel despite criticism

By James Pomfret

 

BBC workers place barriers near to the main entrance of the BBC headquarters and studios in Portland Place, London, Britain, July 16, 2015. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK dropped a 24-hour BBC World Service channel from its airwaves on Monday, replacing it with state radio from China in what critics say is a sign of encroaching Chinese control in the former British colony.

 

Tensions between Hong Kong and Beijing's ruling Communist Party leaders have grown in recent years, particularly over the "Occupy" civil disobedience movement in 2014 when tens of thousands of protesters blocked roads for 79 days demanding full democracy.

 

Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of wide-ranging autonomy under a "one country, two systems" formula.

 

An online petition, titled "RTHK: Give us back our BBC World Service", had been signed by nearly 1,000 people in a bid to keep the British broadcaster's round-the-clock programming, saying the switch would make Hong Kong "feel more parochial and inward-looking".

 

However, Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the city's main public broadcaster, went ahead with scrapping the exclusive BBC channel at midnight on Sunday. Instead, China National Radio - a state-run outlet carrying no sensitive or critical reporting on China - would be broadcast on its own RTHK channel.

 

The broadcasts are mostly in Mandarin, rather than the city's main Cantonese dialect.

 

Amen Ng, a spokeswoman for RTHK, told Reuters earlier there were no political considerations in the decision and said the Chinese broadcaster would enhance cultural exchanges.

 

She said there would still be BBC World Service broadcasts, although only overnight from 11 pm to 7 a.m. and occasionally on weekends.

 

Other RTHK staff said the move had been forced through without broader consultation.

 

 "Nobody knew anything about it. We were told in a meeting just before it was announced," said a senior RTHK editorial employee who declined to be identified because he wasn't authorised to speak to the media.

 

"People see it as a negative thing. The BBC is generally regarded as independent, and (Chinese) state media is not," he said.

 

Some listeners said the move could hurt RTHK's trusted place in the public eye with its self-professed mission for editorial independence, not unlike the BBC after which it was modelled.

 

"I'm quite disappointed. It's a shame but I don't know what we can do, seriously," said Dorothy Tang, an IT consultant.

 

Others said the move was in line with a gradual "mainlandisation" of Hong Kong that has seen Beijing's creeping influence in many sectors, including local government, law enforcement, politics, education, the judiciary, and the media.

 

Gladys Chiu, the head of RTHK's programme staff union, said there had been several recent incidents that had challenged RTHK's editorial independence, including staff being heckled by pro-Beijing voices on radio talk-shows and at public forums.

 

"Sometimes the pressure is very direct," Chiu said.

 

(Additional reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-04

[animalmagic]

I wonder how long before it is illegal to listen to it 

[ExpatOilWorker]

The free world is getting smaller day by day.

[coconuthead]

it was a load of heavily biased crap anyway

[Proboscis]

At least the Hong Kong residents have the Internet without the Great Firewall and therefore can listen to BBC World Service all the time. This is becomming easier and easier. For instance, I live in a location where there is no BBC World Service Radio but I have the BBC Radio app on my phone. As soon as I step into my car, my phone handshakes with the Bluetooth connection and I have BBC World Service on my car stereo. When I arrive home, the phone connects with my home wifi and I can have BBC again. In between times, I can listen to it on earphones or via my laptop in my office.

 

But we should not take this kind of thing lying down. The best thing you can do is to create jokes about this - it is well-known that the authorities of the People's Republic of China hate political jokes - they even banned Winnie the Pooh because of a political connotation. And so to start them off, here is one:

 

"Did you hear that the Communist Part of China is going to open up a special section for pet animals."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes, Comrade. Since they discovered that some pets are actually more intelligent than their owners . . ."

 

"But will this be for all pets? And how will they organize it?

 

"Oh, only for the really smart ones. They are starting with cats, by the way. And the People's Animal Party section have already chosen their leader by unanimous vote - it is Chairman Meow!"

 

Another Joke:

 

After  President Xi Jinping has lived a long life and eventually passes away, he arrives at the gates of heaven where he encounters God. As is common with such prominent individuals, Xi is granted two free wishes by God.

 

His first is that he be allowed to be reincarnated, to which God immediately agrees.

 

But then he says, "And I want to become President of China again."

 

"Ooh," says God. "Nah, too time-consuming. I hate to disappoint you but that would involve me fixing the decisions of far too many committees."

 

 

 

 

[GinBoy2]

I find it rather interesting that the Brit's developed this curious obsession with full democracy in HK, but way before the handover never seemed that keen on it.

I totally accept that in the 60's it was a fragile time, but throughout the 70's and 80's before the handover negotiations began, they could have introduced full democracy. 

Might have been a whole different discussion today if they had

[RoyDee]

*Deleted post edited out*

 

BBC world news is still an important source of information for citizens across the world. I have worked in Africa and Arab countries where ordinary people rely on this media for an alternative point of view from their govt propaganda. Indeed, even in India today, if folks doubt someone's opinion they say 'It is true because it's from BBC'. Many do not have the luxury to select the reporters who "do a bit of research". I wish such reporters still existed. OK, they might get it a bit wrong in a backwater such as Thailand, but Thailand is usually the last resort for significant news.

[boomerangutang]

I listen to BBC radio from my house in Thailand, via internet.  They do a stellar job.  Their specials are very good also.

[RoyDee]

Just now, boomerangutang said:

I listen to BBC radio from my house in Thailand, via internet.  They do a stellar job.  Their specials are very good also.

I remember when I was working in Sudan (before it was divided into S. Sudan) - when it was time for BBC News everybody went up on to the flat roof to listen because that was the place where they could get the best reception. It wasn't only to hear about opinions on their national situation - they got to know about about events globally and would discuss them. I was impressed by their thirst for knowledge. 

[Scott]

Off-topic and troll posts removed.

 

[Proboscis]

On 4/9/2017 at 9:27 PM, GinBoy2 said:

I find it rather interesting that the Brit's developed this curious obsession with full democracy in HK, but way before the handover never seemed that keen on it.

I totally accept that in the 60's it was a fragile time, but throughout the 70's and 80's before the handover negotiations began, they could have introduced full democracy. 

Might have been a whole different discussion today if they had

Absolutely!

The West's very keen interest in democracy in other countries is rather recent. Before that, they used the excuse of the Cold War to prop up and even initiate the worst of dictatorships and police states. Even today, countries like Saudi Arabia are treated extraordinarily well by Europe and the USA.