Franklin Wong is wistful as the photographer sets him up behind a microphone in one of RTHK’s studios. The setting, the new RTHK director of broadcasting says, brings back memories of the “good old days”, during his eight-year stint at the broadcaster which launched his career.
The 66-year-old has little time for this kind of reflection these days. With RTHK facing profound questions about its future as a public service broadcaster, along with queries about alleged expense abuses by staff members, Wong has found himself pitched into his new role at a critical moment. And that is without accounting for the scandal that engulfed his predecessor Chu Pui Hing, who was hounded out of office after being photographed hiding behind a karaoke hostess.
The role was empty for a year while RTHK sought a replacement, and Wong is certainly aware of the scale of his current task, comparing it to his stint at Singapore’s MediaCorp Studios in 2002, when he had to cut headcount by almost half. The RTHK’s unique status is under review via a public consultation, and Wong is unwilling to talk about this until the results are released at the end of the year.
The reticence matches Wong’s reputation. In Singapore, an industry source points out that he was a “low-profile industry player” - though that may be a good thing given his predecessor’s antics.
On some topics, though, Wong is positively punchy. Those that believe the broadcaster should toe the Government line, a common enough sentiment in Hong Kong’s business community, receive short shrift. “Mouthpiece of the Government? Never. Our past and present records have shown we are performing a true public broadcaster’s function,” he explains.
“We have independent editorial and have committed to be impartial, fair and balanced in our productions. We provide the platform to reflect different views from all sectors of the society.”
Given his lengthy track record, Wong’s views on the media are worth seeking out. He is aware of the difficulties that face public broadcasters in today’s commercially driven climate.
“The most distinct difference is that, in a commercial set-up, the CEO can make a decision and implement it very fast, especially in terms of hiring, firing and deploying your staff,” he says. “But in a Government department, you certainly have to follow procedures and regulations. You can see pros and cons here. In a commercial setup, you can react to commercial interests changing fast.”
The issue is an important one for RTHK, which is facing some pressure to accept advertising. Wong admits there are advantages to a more overtly commercial strategy, but worries about the implications.
“In government you use resources wisely; generation of revenue, up to now, is not big scale. If you want to be free of commercial or political pressure, this mode of operation may be more ideal.”
Wong points to the BBC, Australia’s ABC and Canada’s CBC as successful public broadcasting models. He is visibly passionate about the issue of editorial independence, no doubt because of his own experiences battling Hong Kong’s Government in the 60s.
“I started the first phone-in programme in 1968 to ’69. I was the first one to earn this editorial independence. I helped create the model of a public broadcaster.”
Wong’s willingness to push the envelope became considerably more evident when he launched Below the Lion Rock, the iconic 70s TV show that looked at how Government policies affected the Hong Kong working classes.
“We had lots of criticism and a tough time dealing with the Government and officials, because they said we were a Government department, and asked why we criticised them. People were not used to it. We had to fend off a lot of pressure, including internal pressure.” The show’s popularity eventually forced the Government to formalise RTHK as a bona fide public broadcaster.
Beyond the questions over its status and revenue model, Wong must also grapple with the increasing competition that new media choices pose for RTHK. While the broadcaster’s online operation is serviceable enough, it hardly represents the kind of enlightened interactivity that consumers now demand from online media.
Still, Wong is quick to reel off RTHK’s online statistics. “We have 29 million hits per day,” he says, adding that these numbers support RTHK’s ambition of being a broadcaster with true global reach.
A less obvious, but perhaps more important, issue may be the difficulties the broadcaster faces in developing and producing quality content to underpin its philosophy.
While many public broadcasters in other countries routinely contract out most of their production, RTHK cannot because its competitors - the likes of TVB and ATV - own most of the city’s content. Instead, the bulk of RTHK’s programming - more than 90 per cent - is produced in-house.
The situation leads Wong to say that, whether public or private, “it is often survival of the fittest”. That said, he remains unconvinced that conventional commercial measures for assessing performance are necessarily applicable to RTHK.
“It shouldn’t be confined to ratings alone. We have an appreciation index, which tells us how people view our programmes, how many times they view, and how appreciative they are.”
It is a novel approach to gauging RTHK’s appeal to Hong Kong residents. But this charm is being tested, and will face further scrutiny from the launch of a rival radio station by local activist Albert Cheng. “Competition is good as it stimulates improvement and creativeness,” Wong argues.
After a tough couple of years, that stimulation may be exactly what RTHK needs.
Franklin Wong's CV
2008 Director of broadcasting, RTHK
2004 Founder and CEO, CultureLink, Beijing
2000 CEO, MediaCorp Studios, Singapore
1997 Production controller, Astro, Malaysia
1990 Media team leader, The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
1975 Chief publicity officer, ICAC
1966 Programme officer, RTHK (then Radio Hong Kong)
The 66-year-old has little time for this kind of reflection these days. With RTHK facing profound questions about its future as a public service broadcaster, along with queries about alleged expense abuses by staff members, Wong has found himself pitched into his new role at a critical moment. And that is without accounting for the scandal that engulfed his predecessor Chu Pui Hing, who was hounded out of office after being photographed hiding behind a karaoke hostess.
The role was empty for a year while RTHK sought a replacement, and Wong is certainly aware of the scale of his current task, comparing it to his stint at Singapore’s MediaCorp Studios in 2002, when he had to cut headcount by almost half. The RTHK’s unique status is under review via a public consultation, and Wong is unwilling to talk about this until the results are released at the end of the year.
The reticence matches Wong’s reputation. In Singapore, an industry source points out that he was a “low-profile industry player” - though that may be a good thing given his predecessor’s antics.
On some topics, though, Wong is positively punchy. Those that believe the broadcaster should toe the Government line, a common enough sentiment in Hong Kong’s business community, receive short shrift. “Mouthpiece of the Government? Never. Our past and present records have shown we are performing a true public broadcaster’s function,” he explains.
“We have independent editorial and have committed to be impartial, fair and balanced in our productions. We provide the platform to reflect different views from all sectors of the society.”
Given his lengthy track record, Wong’s views on the media are worth seeking out. He is aware of the difficulties that face public broadcasters in today’s commercially driven climate.
“The most distinct difference is that, in a commercial set-up, the CEO can make a decision and implement it very fast, especially in terms of hiring, firing and deploying your staff,” he says. “But in a Government department, you certainly have to follow procedures and regulations. You can see pros and cons here. In a commercial setup, you can react to commercial interests changing fast.”
The issue is an important one for RTHK, which is facing some pressure to accept advertising. Wong admits there are advantages to a more overtly commercial strategy, but worries about the implications.
“In government you use resources wisely; generation of revenue, up to now, is not big scale. If you want to be free of commercial or political pressure, this mode of operation may be more ideal.”
Wong points to the BBC, Australia’s ABC and Canada’s CBC as successful public broadcasting models. He is visibly passionate about the issue of editorial independence, no doubt because of his own experiences battling Hong Kong’s Government in the 60s.
“I started the first phone-in programme in 1968 to ’69. I was the first one to earn this editorial independence. I helped create the model of a public broadcaster.”
Wong’s willingness to push the envelope became considerably more evident when he launched Below the Lion Rock, the iconic 70s TV show that looked at how Government policies affected the Hong Kong working classes.
“We had lots of criticism and a tough time dealing with the Government and officials, because they said we were a Government department, and asked why we criticised them. People were not used to it. We had to fend off a lot of pressure, including internal pressure.” The show’s popularity eventually forced the Government to formalise RTHK as a bona fide public broadcaster.
Beyond the questions over its status and revenue model, Wong must also grapple with the increasing competition that new media choices pose for RTHK. While the broadcaster’s online operation is serviceable enough, it hardly represents the kind of enlightened interactivity that consumers now demand from online media.
Still, Wong is quick to reel off RTHK’s online statistics. “We have 29 million hits per day,” he says, adding that these numbers support RTHK’s ambition of being a broadcaster with true global reach.
A less obvious, but perhaps more important, issue may be the difficulties the broadcaster faces in developing and producing quality content to underpin its philosophy.
While many public broadcasters in other countries routinely contract out most of their production, RTHK cannot because its competitors - the likes of TVB and ATV - own most of the city’s content. Instead, the bulk of RTHK’s programming - more than 90 per cent - is produced in-house.
The situation leads Wong to say that, whether public or private, “it is often survival of the fittest”. That said, he remains unconvinced that conventional commercial measures for assessing performance are necessarily applicable to RTHK.
“It shouldn’t be confined to ratings alone. We have an appreciation index, which tells us how people view our programmes, how many times they view, and how appreciative they are.”
It is a novel approach to gauging RTHK’s appeal to Hong Kong residents. But this charm is being tested, and will face further scrutiny from the launch of a rival radio station by local activist Albert Cheng. “Competition is good as it stimulates improvement and creativeness,” Wong argues.
After a tough couple of years, that stimulation may be exactly what RTHK needs.
Franklin Wong's CV
2008 Director of broadcasting, RTHK
2004 Founder and CEO, CultureLink, Beijing
2000 CEO, MediaCorp Studios, Singapore
1997 Production controller, Astro, Malaysia
1990 Media team leader, The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
1975 Chief publicity officer, ICAC
1966 Programme officer, RTHK (then Radio Hong Kong)
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