The Demise of ATV

ATV's offices in Tai Po in the New Territories

It's finally happened -- ATV or Asia Television is finally shutting down tomorrow.

In the last few years the local TV station has had major financial problems and mainland businessmen have tried to prop it up with injections of a few million dollars here and there.

But this time it wasn't enough and a High Court judge ruled that Deloitte, the provisional liquidator, could go ahead and shut down the company.

ATV's archives include footage from the 1967 riots...

Deloitte is acting on behalf of major creditor Wong Ching, ATV's former boss, who sold his stake to mainland investor Si Bin; Si still owes HK$1.8 billion to Wong, and so he wants the assets sold off to get his money back.

Meanwhile staff weren't being paid their wages, and a few weeks ago some left because they hadn't been paid and can legally quit after not receiving their pay after a period of time.

While the government is assisting the employees in finding new jobs and getting any kind of compensation they can get, there is no word yet on what will happen to ATV's archives.

... the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984...

It was Hong Kong's first TV station and has 60 years' worth of history, including the 1967 riots, the arrest on corruption charges of police chief superintendent Peter Godber, the construction of the MTR and the negotiations of the Sino-British Joint Declaration for Hong Kong's return to China. There's also an exclusive scoop interview with Lee Lai-shan, the windsurfer who won Hong Kong's first-ever gold medal in the 1996 Olympics.

The government doesn't seem to care what happens to these archives which is dismaying to hear, and hopefully someone with the passion and resources can look after them.

They hold Hong Kong's history and we need to keep these things to remember the past as accurately as possible to hold people -- particularly those in office -- accountable.

... and Lee Lai-shan's jubilant Olympic gold win in 1996

While I don't miss ATV per se, it's the archives that I'm most concerned about. They represent 60 years' worth of work that should not be thrown out and forgotten.

HK Police Sweetens Image with Milk Tea

Hong Kong Police try to soften their image -- with milk tea, not tear gas

The Hong Kong police is trying hard to present a positive public image after the bad impression it left from handling protesters during last year's Occupy Movement.

Chief superintendent Steve Hui Chun-tak, nicknamed "Four O'Clock Hui Sir" for his 4pm briefings everyday during the 79-day protest, is moving on to become district commander of Sham Shui Po next month.

Steve Hui (left) with his successor Joseph Au with milk tea

His replacement is chief superintendent Joseph Au Chin-chau, who admits preferring to be more low key. His previous position was head of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, dealing with such cases as the chopper attack on former Ming Pao editor Kevin Lau Chun-to, and an alleged bomb plot hatched at an abandoned ATV studio complex in Sai Kung.

So if Au doesn't want to be in the limelight, speaking out on behalf of the Hong Kong Police will be a cartoon character called Kong, who will prepare and serve the city's famous beverage, milk tea at the force's headquarters, and report gossip or stories from other officers.

Kong will also be featured in a comic book story each week on the force's Facebook page, where he will convey anti-crime messages.

"Milk tea is a classic drink that we cannot live without in daily life," said a police source who requested anonymity. "We want to use it as a link to bond with the community and attract young supporters as they love reading comics."

Hui was nicknamed Four O'Clock Hui for his news briefings

Some frontline officers speaking on condition of anonymity, were not impressed by this new PR strategy. They didn't understand how milk tea had anything to do with their work and were concerned the cartoon character would invite further ridicule.

We too have to wonder about this milk tea strategy. Does the Hong Kong Police think it can win more supporters one cup at a time? Or drowning locals in milk tea laced with caffeine will bring about a softer opinion about police officers? And are Hong Kong people really that infantile in that they only way to get through to them is by writing comic books?

Either way it seems rather silly.

Sounds like it's time to go back to the drawing board...

Hong Kong's Late Night

Johnson Lee's first guest on Sze U Tonight is Sandra Ng

For the longest time, I always wondered why Hong Kong didn't have a late night talk show format like David Letterman or Jimmy Fallon. The city is full of celebrities and socialites -- who wouldn't want the exposure -- particularly a relatively controlled one -- to promote their movies, albums, concerts and products?

Seemed like a natural to me, but the entertainment media scene in Hong Kong seemed to be dominated by print and online, with particular attention paid to what the stars were wearing than what they were saying...

Or perhaps there were concerns a celebrity wouldn't be able to sustain a relatively intelligent conversation for more than five minutes?!

But now my notion has been realized by TVB.

On Sunday the broadcaster debuted Sze U Tonight, featuring host comedian Johnson Lee Sze-chit. Check it out here.

However, critics pounced on the show for copying the look of Late Show with David Letterman complete with a skyline of Hong Kong in the background, a wooden desk, vintage microphone and a mug with pencils.

Cultural critic Jimmy Pang Chi-ming said the show demonstrated Hong Kong's television industry hitting a new low, with ATV recycling programs and struggling to pay its staff their salaries, while TVB had a virtual monopoly.

"TVB has no competitor, which means they do not need to invest in production," Pang said. In the long run, the TV industry will shrink if it cannot keep talented people. This is definitely a new low," he said.

Content-wise the first show was on the crass side. There was a long trailer explaining how Lee was lured back to TV (a long-winded and outrageous situation where he was a hermit somewhere in the New Territories with long gray hair and relied on a cane).

But all of a sudden he was transformed into a clean cut man complete with a sharp suit walking along Lan Kwai Fong and in front of The Peninsula before bursting onto the stage very much like every other talk show host in the United States.

However, unlike Conan O'Brien who was so nervous on his first outing that he constantly fiddled with his watch, Lee was relatively comfortable in front of a studio audience that included his parents. He claimed that for 30 years he had watched late night television in the US and so you could see he was keen to imitate those before him.

First up was actress Sandra Ng Kwan-yu, who is promoting her upcoming Chinese New Year film 12 Golden Ducks (ie gigolos). After showing a clip from the movie (that included Michelle Loo), Ng invited three male co-stars to come out where they strutted their stuff.

Then Lee suggested a competition between him and one of the men with the other two in a dance competition that Ng would judge. One had to dance as if he had to go do a Number 2, another like he couldn't scratch his itch... you get the idea.

It was a good laugh, but what about a decent conversation with Ng about the film or more on how she had to transform herself physically into a man for the part?

Nevertheless, the show continues with three more stars, two women and a guy coming out and playing another game with Lee with a selection of raw and cooked eggs. They have to smash them on the opposite sex's head, and whoever pics the raw eggs wins. It's funny to watch because Lee gets three raw eggs.

The musical guest? Alex To.

We'll have to see how long this show lasts, but with Lee being so passionate about finally being able to do a late night talk show format, it can't go any lower... can it?