Often- very often- sub-editors in newspapers take the lazy way out and write a headline without reading in entirety what a reporter might have written.
The recent coverage by the media of protests supposedly against the government to grant Ricky Wong’s HKTV a free-to-air license has made headlines because of the protests and the turnouts and, apparently, the emotional outpourings expressed.
However, what’s happened to the plans for HKTV might have been the noodle the broke the running dog’s back, but the REAL reason for them is, to me, something far bigger and which has been building up for decades: A groundswell of frustration and Howard Beale anger where David- meaning the public, the small entrepreneur, the creative community and anyone to do with fair play- is taking on Goliath- the government, the Chief Executive, and big business aka big bullies.
With China watching how this play out, it shows that Beijing understands and might even side with those wishing to storm Le Bastille.
These protests in Hong Kong are to say, Enough Is Enough.
These protests are to say that we’re fucking fed up with spiraling rents, the air that we breathe, the long drawn out talks with those idiots in the Philippines about the Manila bus tragedy, being screwed everywhere we go by the usual suspects and that Hong Kong needs to get back on track and be a city where everyone who should be here is created equal- starting at Immigration and re-examining Immigration laws all the way up and down to allowing big business to not get away with their golden parachutes with only rap over the knuckles.
Add to this, the enormous wastage of public money by non-transparent government organizations like, yes, CreateHK, InvestHK and all the other Hong Cons that exist and have been allowed to exist.
Can the head of CreateHK, for example, kindly explain what it has done for the local creative community other than spend OUR money changing its logo and which meant spending more money redoing its stationery? And what a logo, it is.
These Hong Cons include CY Leung and his cronies led by Carrie Ng, Henry Tang and his wife, NOW TV and PCCW and lower down the totem pole, government mouthpieces like the mysterious Duncan Pescod whose job responsibilities I would love to understand plus what value he brings to Hong Kong in his nebulous role.
This is where our media fucks up. They do not answer the hard questions or, they are easily bamboozled by hype.
When the real crooks behind the HarbourFest scam have been allowed to walk away with their crooked golden goose leaving others to be the fall guys while they continue to move from one illegally structured scam to the next while trying to come across as being holier than thou, something is very wrong and the media just don’t get it or are paid to turn a blind eye.
As for the HKTV saga and the licenses awarded to the two other free-to-air channels, where are they going to get their content when the current programming of i-Cable and PCCW’s NOWTV is so piss poor?
Sure, Robert Chua will pop in with another of his dud channels and get his media buddies to write about it.
Who fucking cares about Robert Chua and his pots and pans channels which have started and failed, started and failed whereas the success he had with Enjoy Yourself Tonight is now almost 50 years ago. Let’s stop bringing up the past. That’s long gone.
I come back to this same question: Granting free to air licenses is fine. It’s in fact, bloody great IF Hong Kong was going to get better television.
And so, even if Ricky Wong and his HKTV were to get a license, what about the content?
Would it be any better than the rubbish produced on ATV?
Where’s the beef and where’s the creativity and a staff and organization of NEW television men and not another typically Hong Kong style game of musical chairs with the end result of another old farts club defined as “new.”
This is the endless Hong Kong game where washed up talent from one loser channel ends up at another loser channel which is what NOWTV is all about: Outdated businessmen who have worked for everyone and now out to make as much as possible before it’s too late.
Why are they employed?
Ask King Richard below aka Dick to those who don’t wish to play marbles with him nor brothers Robert and George Chan, both known for the “value” they brought to HKTVB and now whiling away their time with NOWTV.
This is where the Hong Kong media goes way off track and are led up the proverbial garden path with their heads up their asses.
They either can’t see or refuse to see the naked truth, write without thinking and, which is why, always remember, Don’t believe everything you read. Even this.
You have your own mind. Use it.
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