tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post2475156144928766784..comments2024-02-15T06:33:28.234-08:00Comments on LL's Musings 小賢角落: UPDATES on free TV license issue and HKTV protestsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-1965316455338082582013-10-29T16:48:39.184-07:002013-10-29T16:48:39.184-07:00@Tamaya: I’ve actually been opposed to that boyco...@Tamaya: I’ve actually been opposed to that boycott from the beginning because I hold the exact same view as you – not only does it NOT accomplish anything, it may also end up backfiring on them (HKTV). And to be quite honest, it’s not like it makes much difference, since a lot of audiences nowadays don’t watch TV much anyway (either because of the poor quality of series or the fact that they can watch on the Internet anytime they want to) – so to me, it’s one of those ‘silly’ boycotts that ‘succeeds’ in doing nothing but detract from the issue at hand.<br /><br />As for RW needing a better PR manager – while I definitely agree with you on this point, I’m actually not too sure if this boycott thing was endorsed by him or not, especially keeping in mind that what the HKTV trade union group has been doing seems to be separate from what Ricky Wong has been doing / saying (though could be that he’s separating himself on purpose so as not stir up any further negative sentiment)…<br /><br />Also, following this issue as closely as I have, I’ve noticed through reading of various things on Weibo, Facebook, Internet in general, etc. that it seems like there are several different ‘groups’ (or factions or whatever you want to call it) with several different ‘goals’ involved and not all of them lead back to the same end result. For example – many of the HKTV artists and behind-the-scenes staff have made it clear on Weibo that their goal with the protests aren’t to force the government to give HKTV a license, but rather to obtain a full explanation from the government on why the license was denied – if the explanation is valid and makes sense, they will accept it. This is important to note because it supports the ‘black box operation’ claim that HKTV and Ricky Wong have been accusing the government of…..however, by the same token, because there have also been a lot of criticism this past week toward HKTV protestors about them ‘crying’ over not getting a license, with some people even saying that the more they try to force the government to give them a license, the more they don’t want them to get a license (which to me is sort of stupid, but that’s just me). The reason I bring this up is because if the core HKTV people’s goal is to get a proper explanation from the govt, then it’s unfair to ‘generalize’ that they are trying to use the ‘mob mentality’ to force the government into giving them a license.<br /><br />If I remember correctly, I think this whole TV switchoof campaign thing was first suggested by a netizen and not by HKTV people….but still, they should have just left it at that and not ‘adopt’ that campaign as part of their protest….<br />llwy12https://www.blogger.com/profile/02401832364832078932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-44201857917935273502013-10-29T12:30:48.620-07:002013-10-29T12:30:48.620-07:00Not to mention how unfair the tvb boycott is to th...Not to mention how unfair the tvb boycott is to the affected tvb cast and crew of the currently airing series and tv programs. (reminder: these people are most if not all HKTV's former colleagues) Why should their series ratings be the colleteral damage in the HKTV's protest against the HK government?Tamayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13527095699512743403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-45599978011156249612013-10-29T12:05:46.010-07:002013-10-29T12:05:46.010-07:0030/10星期三,晚上7至11時,是網民為反對港府在電視發牌問題上的黑箱作業,而發起的「熄電視日」
...30/10星期三,晚上7至11時,是網民為反對港府在電視發牌問題上的黑箱作業,而發起的「熄電視日」<br /><br />What's your stand on this call for a boycott on TVB and the other tv stations (we all knew TVB is the target) on Wednesday from 7 pm thru 11 pm, support or oppose? I oppose. Why complicate the heart of the matter of their cause with other irrelevant variables. Their one and only target should be just the HK government and the latter's lack of accountability and transparency for their rejection of HKTV's license, hence the huge public support. Now the protestors can be seen as bullies targeting non relevant entities to accomplish what? <br /><br />The HK gov't must be happy to now have TVB as the scapegoat so people would get off their back, while the protesters attack another. Even if tvb's series ratings are truly affected for that night, how does that help the HKTV's true cause; the slipped ratings if they did indeed slip, would only incur the wrath of the cast's fans and supporters, who may have been previously neutral. To reiterate, RW needs a good public relations manager cos' he is truly lack the pr skill. Tamayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13527095699512743403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-53589762979026714542013-10-29T07:36:55.179-07:002013-10-29T07:36:55.179-07:00
@Tamaya: Yup, exactly! That’s exactly why even...<br />@Tamaya: Yup, exactly! That’s exactly why even though Chow Yuk Ming agreed to be the guest speaker for one of the HKTV union’s sharing sessions, he made it clear on his Weibo beforehand that he’s doing so out of support for the cause, but not for Ricky Wong himself (he also participated in the protest last last Sunday). And that’s also one of the reasons why so many supporters of the license issue and HKTV in general (myself included) find it hard to ‘support’ Ricky Wong directly. Yes, RW keeps reiterating that he is a ‘business person’ first and foremost, but with how ‘big’ this situation has gotten, it’s probably going to be difficult for him to maintain this position for long.<br /><br />Btw….I’ll be posting up a couple more ‘updates’ from SCMP very soon, including one article in particular that’s actually a ‘mini-bio’ of Ricky Wong that recaps quite well how he came about becoming the person he is. There’s also a very interesting editorial written by an expert who summarizes everything that has occurred so far and then explains why the government’s ‘claim’ that the market can’t support 5 TV stations is invalid….both are definitely very interesting reads!<br />llwy12https://www.blogger.com/profile/02401832364832078932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-85019091449133207822013-10-29T06:25:36.798-07:002013-10-29T06:25:36.798-07:00"Ricky Wong still insists that Mainland (Beij..."Ricky Wong still insists that Mainland (Beijing) politics are not involved" -- and that what pisses off many among them, scriptwriter Chow Yuk Ming, who implies at RW's duplicity of not willing to walk the talk cos' he being a businessman is not willing to take up Beijing but let his minions do the dirty work for him. <br /><br />Tamayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13527095699512743403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-47053922296858650872013-10-28T12:42:16.223-07:002013-10-28T12:42:16.223-07:00@sport3888: Regarding Ricky Wong....yup...he'...@sport3888: Regarding Ricky Wong....yup...he's a smart guy, so I'm sure he's absolutely aware that the protests and such weren't going to work (which is part of the reason why he didn't attend any of the protests....plus the organizer of the protest is HKTV Trade Union and they've made it clear that the protest has nothing to do with Ricky Wong directly). He's also trying to distance himself not because he doesn't care, but because he's also very well aware that part of the reason for why HKTV failed to get a license is because of him (just take a look online to see how many people have posted hateful comments directed at him) -- he doesn't want to aggravate the situation any further by showing up at the rallies and thereby causing the Media to put a negative spin on the protests or 'harm' HKTV any further.<br /><br />I'm also waiting to see what he's going to do with the completed series he has on hand. As I said on AF, as long as he doesn't end up selling those series to TVB or ATV, then I'm fine....llwy12https://www.blogger.com/profile/02401832364832078932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-31799447963600945712013-10-28T12:34:41.450-07:002013-10-28T12:34:41.450-07:00@sport3888 & fangorn: That's actually a g...@sport3888 & fangorn: That's actually a good idea. And no worries about their Mandarin because they are absolutely fluent (there was a Mainland variety show that they appeared on as special guests along with their dad Paul Chun -- it was around the time when their uncle Derek Yee had a new movie out and they went on the show as a surprise to him....both Benji and Lesley spoke Mandarin and their pronunciation was perfect -- if you just listen to them speak, you'd think they were natives or something).<br /><br />Personally, I feel it's unfortunately that Benji and Lesley were not able to succeed in HK because they truly do have alot of potential. True, the 'independent' route was very risky, but I applaud them for sticking with it so long and trying so hard to make it work...the other admirable part is that they tried really hard to fight for their music dream and as much as it seemed unattainable, they still gave it a shot nonetheless...that's better than artists who don't truly have a passion for music and are just in it for the fame and money. llwy12https://www.blogger.com/profile/02401832364832078932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-6456666523391691202013-10-28T12:27:27.978-07:002013-10-28T12:27:27.978-07:00@Tamaya: I completely agree with you...as I'v...@Tamaya: I completely agree with you...as I've said before as well, I absolutely believe that Mainland politics were involved to some extent as well and part of the reason for the license denial was exactly as you stated (fear of what RW is capable of and therefore feeling the need to shut the door before he gets a chance to do anything).<br /><br />With all that said however, the ironic part of this whole situation is that since the beginning (and even now, after his license was rejected), Ricky Wong still insists that Mainland (Beijing) politics are not involved -- rather, the decision was motivated by 'internal' politics and interests (specifically business interests) entirely within HK (reading between the lines, looks like he's implying that CY Leung/HK government denied the license because they're trying to protect TVB and ATV and also possibly to appease 'big business' interests due to who NowTV and i-Cable are owned by). This is actually the reason why some people who are very staunchly anti-government are not willing to support him (despite voicing support for the issuance of more licenses and also support for his staff)...while most people agree that the HK government is a 'black box operation', the reasons and motivations behind it are what many people can't seem to agree on at this point.<br /><br />Whatever the reason though, you are right in that no matter what happens, RW is not going to get his license....doesn't matter how many more high profile stars speak out or how many more people lose their jobs...with the way the HK government operates, it's just not going to happen....unfortunately, that's reality....llwy12https://www.blogger.com/profile/02401832364832078932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-59493163209235503522013-10-28T12:12:53.240-07:002013-10-28T12:12:53.240-07:00@Tamaya: Thanks for the link to the article. Def...@Tamaya: Thanks for the link to the article. Definitely a very interesting article, though I also am not sure what to make of it. While the guy does bring up some valid points, it’s hard to say for sure whether what he says truly holds any water. See, the problem with this whole licensing issue too is that there are too many questions and too much room for possible ‘conspiracy theories’ – whether it’s government reasons, business reasons, people got paid off, etc. – that’s why too me, the wisest thing for the government to do (if they truly cared about HK that is) would have been to at least explain how they came up with their decision….at minimum, they would have been able to shut people up as far as the ‘conspiracy theories’ are concerned. But the fact that the government (more specifically Chief Executive CY Leung) refuses to do any explaining and pretty much just lets the issue continue to fester and brew shows me how much he doesn’t care about HK (and reinforces people’s negative perception of him as a ‘puppet’). <br /><br />At this point, I honestly feel that RW is already doomed, so whatever articles or ‘theories’ that come out in the future aren’t going to affect him or the issue much. No matter what happens, as long as CY Leung is in power, RW is not going to get his license – I think that’s pretty much a ‘given’ already…it’s just that most Hong Kongers don’t want to give up hope so easily because that means HK is truly over, so whatever options can be explored, everyone is willing to try it. <br />llwy12https://www.blogger.com/profile/02401832364832078932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-5345310432671455492013-10-28T07:58:23.074-07:002013-10-28T07:58:23.074-07:00llwy12: Have you read this article by a RW's o...llwy12: Have you read this article by a RW's old school? Looks like the conspiracy against RW's licence application goes deeper than just government politics, it extends to big corporations and organizational entities too because of RW's documentary programs search for truth. I...don't know what to make of that guy's postulation. Read the bottom paragraph of 1st page into the 2nd page. Good thing the article author resides in Canada. But methink this guy's 黃凱芹自治區 accusation may create problems for RW later. Wonder how long before this article will be deleted on weibo. As of now, not many people have responded probably they did not know about it yet. (A Steven Ma fan reposted the article onto her weibo, that's how I came upon it.) Thought it might interest you too. <br /><br />http://www.weibo.com/2421817184/AeRwbjZ7T?mod=weibotime<br /><br />Tamayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13527095699512743403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-15580796849327832802013-10-26T14:40:05.241-07:002013-10-26T14:40:05.241-07:00At this point I just want to know what RW's pl...At this point I just want to know what RW's plan is because they're obviously not going to get their license and he knew all this protest wasn't going to work. I hope he finds a way to release the already filmed series and continue filming series. I think they will try filming movies as well but series is much important right now for Cantonese speakers.sport3888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-47252477217686603972013-10-26T14:36:09.195-07:002013-10-26T14:36:09.195-07:00True if they're fluent enough in Mandarin if n...True if they're fluent enough in Mandarin if not they can always just sign to a music company rather than staying independent. At least signing to a music company will get them a regular salary. I never really agreed with their approach of being independent because most singers need to eventually sign to a big company for more promotion. Just look at Owl City and how he got popular with Fireflies right after he's signed to Universal in US.sport3888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-75103104732251515362013-10-26T08:44:09.559-07:002013-10-26T08:44:09.559-07:00I think Benji and Lesley should consider moving to...I think Benji and Lesley should consider moving to Taiwan to develop their music career, as TW is a better place than HK IMO. <br /><br />fangornnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765116522593136045.post-67384180173203634782013-10-26T08:36:03.018-07:002013-10-26T08:36:03.018-07:00First off, thanks for your updates on this situati...First off, thanks for your updates on this situation, really appreciate it. <br /><br />Second, yes, the situation is looking grim and getting grim. Like I've said in my earlier AF posts, Beijing government felt threatened by HKTV's potential social and political influence/effect over the tv viewers (HK and mainland) thru HKTV's allegedly aggressive, incendiary, controversial and more importantly, thought-provoking contents of their series, which is how HKTV sells/promotes their series. HKTV seen as a rallying media for the Chinese masses' consciousness sounds the dead knell for RC's dream and his people's for this is exactly what Beijing fears - can't have the consciousness of the masses be all stirred up like what Ms. Chow's 'why quality tv in HK is dead' article says. So Beijing had HK lackey, CY Leung, vetoed the exco's votes. <br /><br />Third, all these defiant rallies and protests would only serve to prove to Beijing they were right to nip HKTV's growth in the bud if the turnouts are any indication of how it could and would be should HKTV be allowed to grow. Not approving the license is definitely the government's preemptive clamping down strike to prevent what they foresee of HKTV's anti-government media influence -- a bit neurotic in my opinion. <br /><br />So though the numerous rallies brought lots of media and online attention and sympathy, they are not helping HKTV's cause to get its license any time soon, most likely never.<br />Tamayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13527095699512743403noreply@blogger.com