My 'TVB Rant' #28: Wow, just....WOW: TVB's bullying taken to new heights.....

TVB did something this past week that I'm so pissed about, I have to write about it to vent my frustration (as if I haven't written about it enough already in various discussion forums and such, lol).

Anyway, the big entertainment news from this weekend was the huge fallout (second one in less than a decade) between record company Universal and TVB over copyright terms for using Universal artists' songs on TVB programs feature on their Internet channels (i.e. myTV, myTV Super, TVB.com).   The way it works is that the record companies give TVB contracted rights to use their artists' music/songs for a period of 3 years and after that, the contract gets renewed if both parties agree on the terms.  Well, TVB's latest contract with Universal expired on 5/1/16 so both parties got together to discuss contract renewal as they've been doing for the past few decades.  TVB sent Herman Ho - the head of their own music label Voice Entertainment - to discuss contract terms with Universal's higher ups (I'll explain in a minute why I have a problem with this arrangement in the first place) and departing from usual terms, this time around, TVB put in a requirement that is at the same time ridiculous and impossible to fulfill.  TVB basically requested that Universal sign over the exclusive rights to use their artists' songs FOREVER (yes, you read it right - the word used was FOREVER!) - which meant that TVB could continue to use Universal copyrighted songs in any program they feature on their Internet portals even after the contract terms are up without having to worry about getting copyright approval (which implies that they don't have to pay Universal royalty fees) and also that Universal can't allow other stations to use those songs.   Universal of course said HELL NO (kudos to them!!!) and decided to not renew their contract with TVB (lol...the Universal execs reacted quite professionally - if it were me, I would've told Herman Ho to go to hell!)  Based on the contract terms, TVB has 3 years from expiration date (so 4/30/2019) to either remove all Universal copyrighted songs from their Internet programs (which of course would be a lot of work) or take down the affected programs from their Internet portals entirely (note that these terms don't apply to programs aired on TVB's regular free-to-air channel).  So basically, TVB was once again trying to be the arrogant bully that they are but this time, it backfired on them because Universal refused to bend to them.

I don't think any of us need to be rocket scientists to understand what type of impact this is going to have on the HK television and music industries.  Herman Ho claims that TVB still 'welcomes' all Universal artists to participate in their programs provided their appearance doesn't violate contract terms (meaning there is no singing / music involved), however knowing TVB's track record, that is pretty much lip service, as we all know that TVB is petty and will now be 'banning' Universal artists just like they did during the royalty dispute 7-8 years ago.  Besides, who the hell gave Herman Ho the right to speak for TVB as a whole when he's only the head of their record label?  Oh, that's right - his wife is Sandy Yu, who, on paper, is only the head of the variety programs department (and is at the same level as Catherine Tsang, who is head of the drama department), but in reality, she is the actual one 'in power' at TVB now.  Go figure!  The fact that TVB sent Herman Ho to negotiate with a fellow record company is conflict of interest first of all (since both are heads of rival record companies) and it also reeks of insincerity on TVB's part -- if TVB CEO Mark Lee felt it was beneath him to negotiate with a mere record company, then at least send one of the GMs who oversee all production to negotiate with Universal...after all, the outcome of the talks will for sure impact all of TVB's programs, not just music-related ones.  With this arrangement, TVB already started off on the wrong foot (though to be honest, I'm not sure whether this was a deliberate move on TVB's part to "pay back" Universal for opposing them so many times over the past few years or the current execs over at TVB are just dumbaxxxs who have no clue what they are doing....I personally think it might be a combination of both).  The reason I threw that 'pay back' thing in there is because Universal's execs said that they've had the same contract with TVB for decades and the discussions have always gone smoothly, but this time around, TVB dropped that "forever" clause on them out of nowhere, which is what caused the discussion to go sour (why the sudden change in terms, TVB???)

The latest 'development' in this absurd saga is that as of yesterday, TVB (um, actually Herman Ho - but I guess he represents all of TVB now) was "crying a river" to reporters, claiming that Universal was the one being "unreasonable" by forcing TVB to take down/remove Universal copyrighted content within 3 years.  How INSANE is that????  TVB is the one who started the dispute by putting forth a RIDICULOUS to the max requirement that NO ONE in their right minds would agree to - now when Universal says NO and proceeds with terminating the contract as per terms, TVB is trying to make themselves look like the victim by shifting the blame on the record company instead?  WTF?  Oh, but it gets better....in the same "crying a river" interview, Herman Ho goes on to contradict himself by saying that the 'impact' of this dispute to TVB won't be much at all, as 'only a handful of programs will be affected' (yeah, right!!!!).  Um, if only 'a handful of programs' is being affected, why the bloody hell is TVB (via Herman Ho) trying to shift the blame to Universal?  Herman Ho is actually outright lying, as it's obvious to anyone with a brain that the impact of this is going to be huge, especially since the copyrighted songs date all the way back to the 80s/90s (which includes all the songs under Polygram, which Universal bought out in the 90s).  Even TVB's former GM Stephen Chan said that he hasn't been paying much attention to the details of the issue, but he knows for a fact that if TVB has to remove/take down all copyrighted programs, that will definitely be a huge problem for them.  With Universal being one of the largest international record companies out there with practically half the HK music industry signed to them (including many of the industry's 'biggest names' such as Alan Tam, Jacky Cheung, Hacken Lee, Sandy Lam, George Lam, Eason Chan, Kelly Chan, etc.), it will obviously be TVB's loss if they don't rectify the situation and proceed to 'ban' Universal (as is widely speculated).  Universal definitely does not need TVB, as they have a plethora of other options and platforms to promote their music (including TVB's rival free-to-air station ViuTV - which they already have collaborations with - as well as the cable networks and of course, internet platforms such as Youtube).

To be honest, I am actually a bit surprised that TVB would make such a bonehead, stupid move at such a sensitive point in time when their reputation is already in the toilet, their production quality is at an all-time low, artists and behind-the-scenes people are jumping ship left and right, and their own in-house produced singers (the Voice Entertainment crowd) are being heavily criticized for lacking actual singing skills.  Also, in this day and age, with all the technology and resulting doors that have opened up with Internet platforms, there's no way that TVB doesn't know that the record companies have tons more options than they've ever had in the past to promote their artists' music.  Does TVB really think they are that 'high and mighty' as to demand that the record companies collaborate ONLY with them and forego all other opportunities to make more money?  What record company would be stupid enough to cut off a large part of their revenue source just so they can cater to TVB's ridiculous whims?  (Ok, ok, I know that there ARE some record companies out there who would be willing to do it because they are so pro-TVB...not that I'm going to name names though, lol).  What planet are these TVB execs living on?  Like I said in another forum - either Herman Ho is deliberately trying to sabotage TVB's relationship with other record companies in order to boost his own record label or TVB has gotten to the "arrogant beyond saving" stage where they are stupidly flexing their power to see who will bend to them without giving a crap about the consequences.

Lastly...I don't think it's lost on anyone reading this that there will be one more 'consequence' that none of us HK television fans want to see happen:  the television screen for the next 3 years (and perhaps beyond that) will essentially be 'dominated' by Voice Entertainment singers (argh, please kill me now...) and the JSG awards ceremonies will go back to being "the EEG + Voice Entertainment Music Awards".  TVB just gave me more reason to stop watching their programs!  I swear, TVB is slowly chipping away at the small circle of 'support' that I still have for them - if it weren't for the few artists and behind-the-scenes people I care about still working for TVB, I would've abandoned this station a long time ago.

Words of wisdom to TVB from a long-time 'follower' (me - though of course, not that TVB gives a damn, lol):  Stop testing our patience with the arrogant attitude and pettiness!  Despite the fact that you have let us down time and time again, many of us still continue to 'support' you to some extent because of sentimentality (and other) reasons.   Stop taking advantage of your audiences' goodwill and stop treating everyone like brainless sheep who must adhere to your every beck and call.  Let ATV be a lesson on how NOT to manage a TV station (though looks like it's too late for this one) because if you fall, it will be 100 times worse and the damage will be far-reaching....

My ‘TVB Rant’ # 11: TVB Grooming Their Own Crop of Singers / Musicians – Good or Bad??

I’ve noticed a recent trend at TVB in the last 2 years or so….they are relying more heavily on developing the contestants that have come out of their singing contest, “The Voice” (or, as I like to call it, the TVB copycat version of Hollywood’s “American Idol”). Ok, to be honest, I’m actually not surprised in the least that they would focus on pushing out “The Voice” contestants (which I will refer to as the Voice newbies in this post going forward) because, quite frankly, so many things have happened in the past 2 years that TVB really does not have a choice. Just to ‘recap’ and jog people’s memories, here are some of the ‘challenges’ that TVB has faced the past 2 years, a lot of which most likely played a huge part in their decision to promote the Voice newbies:

.— TVB’s ongoing royalty dispute with the Big 5 record companies -- Universal, Warner, Sony, EMI, BMA (also collectively known as the HK Recording Industry Alliance or HKRIA). In December of this year, it will be exactly 2 years since the royalty dispute began and with both sides still standing firm on their “requirements” and refusing to budge, there does not seem to be any sign of the dispute ending any time soon. This means that all of the Big 5 singers (which is pretty much half, if not more, of the HK music industry – including many of the biggest names in music) will continue to be “banned” from any appearance on TVB whatsoever (including on non-music programs such as Entertainment News segments). This also means that audiences will continue to see the same singers (primarily those from EEG, though there are others as well) on TVB over and over again….as if 2 years of seeing the same singers wasn’t already enough, it looks like we have another few years to ‘look forward’ to…GREAT! (I’m being sarcastic here).

.—The music awards “controversy”. More specifically, I am referring to all of the arguing / bickering amongst the various HK record companies and the 4 leading Media stations (TV station TVB and radio stations Metro, CRHK, RTHK) over the fairness / unfairness and credibility / lack of credibility of their respective awards shows, with TVB’s JSG Awards Show bearing the brunt of the criticism. Within this “issue” is also the argument (from mostly the veteran HK musicians / singers) for a single combined awards ceremony utilizing one consistent set of criteria / standards to determine the award winners, which some of the record companies (as well as the 4 stations themselves) are opposed to because it would mean fewer awards (and therefore less opportunity and less money) for their singers…ironically, most of the record companies that have been “vehemently opposed” to a combined ceremony (or any sort of change in award ceremony criteria for that matter) are those that don’t belong to HKRIA – especially EEG and EA (aka the TVB Supporters).

To be honest, I could care less about the HK music industry nowadays because it has already dropped to the “beyond salvageable” point for me and is really not worth paying much attention to anymore (in fact, I can’t even remember the last time I actually watched an HK music awards ceremony in its entirety – I would venture to guess that I haven’t watched one in almost a decade!). Plus we all know that the majority of the awards ceremonies in HK (especially TV and Music) are “rigged” in some fashion anyway and is not a true reflection of “the best” in the industry, so there’s really no point in arguing over this anymore. Who cares?!?! Let TVB do whatever the hell they want to do with their award ceremony – at least the discerning audiences who “know the truth” will see them for what they truly are!

.—The departure of A LOT of talented artists from TVB in the past few years (and the imminent departure of even more), primarily because of frustration over the way they are being treated (amongst other reasons). On the surface, this does not seem to have much to do with the music side of things, but in reality, it definitely has an impact, as the massive shrinking of TVB’s talent pool in recent years has made them “desperate” to get their hands on any artist they can get (even if only for a brief moment). Of course, I have my own opinion with regard to the subject of TVB artists “leaving the nest” (or, more accurately, terminating their management contracts with TVB), but I’m not going to get into that here (believe me, you don’t want to hear about that right now…LOL). Just note that this ‘factor’ is an important one in driving TVB’s decision to promote their own singers.

.—TVB’s unsuccessful attempts at pushing their own (contracted) actors/actresses into the music industry. Ok, quiz time – how many TVB actors / actresses have ‘officially’ added the title of ‘singer’ to their resumes in the past few years? The answer – a lot, but here are the most ‘popular’ ones (in no particular order): Raymond, Bosco, Myolie, Cho Lam, Linda, Ron, Kate, Fala. Many people may disagree with me on this (which is perfectly fine, since everyone is subject to their own opinion), but honestly, how many of these ‘actors/actresses turned singers’ can TRULY SING (meaning actually carry a tune)?? Um, very few of them in my opinion…not only that, some of them already can’t even do their main job (acting) properly, and instead of focusing on honing their skills in acting, they are now trying to enter the music industry and do the same ‘mediocre’ job there? Talk about torture!! (Yea, like the HK music industry isn’t suffering enough already – we really need TVB to break that last straw and push the industry over the edge to oblivion!)

.—The overall negative press that TVB has received in the past 2 years. I’m sure many people have noticed that TVB has been “in the news” a lot in the past few years (and no, I’m not talking about the standard coverage of their series and artists that we see every year) – I’m referring more specifically to all the negative publicity that TVB has gotten due to their internal “dirty laundry” being aired. For example: the criticism over the declining quality of their series and the lack of talented artists, the unending accusations of ‘plagiarism’ and ‘copying’ (a reflection of the lack of creativity in their scripts), the debacle over their handling of the HKFA broadcast, the various complaints from former (and current) artists over low wages, long hours, and just overall crappy treatment, the Stephen Chan corruption case (which confirmed a lot of the internal politics and infighting that exists within the company), and some well-known (and popular) artists blasting TVB because of blatant favoritism (I could come up with way more examples, but I’ll stop here, since I know you probably get the picture by now…). Overall, the number of STUPID MOVES that TVB has made over the past few years is enough to make them the laughingstock of the entertainment world for decades to come!

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Ok, so now that I’ve laid out the background, let’s go back to my point about TVB trying to ‘groom’ the Voice newbies to become ‘the future’ of their company (from a music standpoint).

First off, we’ve got a few of the contestants from Season One singing themesongs and sub-themesongs for various TVB series – a few examples: Tang Siu Hao’s theme song for the sitcom “Some Day”, Ryan Lau’s theme songs for “When Lanes Merge” and “The Truth”, Super 4 (Ryan Lau, Alfred Hui, Auston Lam, Victor Chen)’s theme song for “Gun Metal Grey”, Alfred Hui’s subtheme for “Gun Metal Grey”, Cherry Ho’s theme song for “Only You”…..etc. The reason why this is significant is because ever since TVB created their own music division – TVB Music Limited – in 2003, they’ve been having their own actors and actresses sing the theme songs / sub themesongs for their series instead of hiring professional singers to perform the songs (as was the practice back in the 80s and 90s). This move was primarily to save costs – they would only hire professional singers to perform the theme songs in a few select instances (i.e. a grand or important production or if the singer happens to be the star of the series).

As a side note, in addition to singing theme songs, TVB has also been placing various Voice contestants in their TV series (most notably, the twins Daniel and Adrian Chau as well as a few others). This move I question, as I don’t really feel it’s necessary unless the contestants actually have talent in acting – but then again, it’s TVB – if they are ok with putting talentless MHKs into their series, then no surprise that they would do the same thing with the Voice contestants.

And then of course, you’ve got Mag Lam (whom we all know is the winner of Season 2’s competition). Almost immediately after she won, Mag was heavily promoted, with appearances and performances at various big TVB events, a TV series, a movie, an album in the works, and more series in the works (all in less than a year). Oh and who can forget the ‘surprise’ move that TVB made when they placed her in the front row (usually reserved for TVB’s most popular first-line fa dans and siu sangs) for the group picture at last year’s Light Switching Ceremony? Talk about ‘heavy promotion’…..

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So is TVB’s action of grooming the Voice contestants a good thing or a bad one? Well, it really depends on the way you look at it….

On the one hand, at least the Voice contestants went through a year of participating in a rigorous singing competition and had the benefit of receiving some good advice from various professional judges (singers, producers, etc.) regarding their singing. So at least they do have some skill (or at least by now they do, even if they didn’t have any before) – though admittedly, some of the contestants aren’t quite there yet. Given these factors, I would much rather have one of the Voice contestants sing the theme songs than to have the TVB actors / actresses do it because at least the Voice contestants are considered ‘actual’ singers (albeit non-professional ones, but singers nonetheless). In THAT sense then, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

On the other hand – well, given that this is TVB we’re talking about, I do feel bad somewhat for the Voice newbies being promoted right now because we all know how aggressive TVB’s promotional tactics can be – the ‘stick them in the audience’s faces 24-7 so there’s no way the audience can forget them’ method -- it can definitely reach the “overkill” level really quickly and even though the audiences may not “forget” them (because of constant exposure), they will probably grow tired of them very quickly. And of course, that could mean “bye bye” to their fledgling careers fairly quickly….(looks like they are already going down that path with Mag Lam – I’m already sick of seeing her and hearing about her…and it’s only been a year…).

Also, are these contestants really ‘ready’ for a career in the complicated entertainment industry? I mean, most of them are still fairly young (some haven’t even finished school yet) – with their lack of experience, do they really want to subject themselves to the pressures of the industry at this point in their lives? Better yet, how many of them truly have what it takes to ‘make it’ in the industry? Some of the contestants were actually quite ‘mediocre’ in their skill – seriously, I don’t think the entertainment industry needs more ‘mediocre’ artists, as the industry is already ‘overflowing’ with them….

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I pretty much have to conclude that I really don’t know the answer to whether it’s a good or bad thing for TVB to groom its own crop of singers because there pros and cons to both sides – plus it depends upon the caliber of the contestants for that particular year. I can tell you that the ‘quality’ of the contestants has seriously deteriorated over the past 3 years – Season 1 had some really high caliber contestants, Season 2 ‘s were lesser caliber, but there were a few standouts….Season 3 however – well, let’s just say that it’s been torture sitting through the first 3 episodes so far – none of the contestants really stand out and some of them are actually ‘really bad’ (meaning ‘cringeworthy’).

I’m definitely ‘on the fence’ with this topic – at least for now….

My 'TVB Rant' #2: Why I Can’t Stand TVB’s Politics – Part 2

It is a truth universally acknowledged that no one is perfect and everyone has their faults / weaknesses. There is nothing "bad" about this, as it just proves that we are all human.

This same truth applies to businesses and organizations as well. It makes sense, since businesses and organizations are run by humans, whom we have already determined are imperfect and make mistakes. It's okay to make mistakes, as long as we admit them, learn from them, and don't let the same mistakes happen again.

What is so difficult to grasp about the above concept? Well, plenty, it seems -- especially with a powerhouse organization like TVB. Maybe it's the "power" that they feel they have over the entire HK entertainment industry due to the virtual "monopoly" they possess in the television world (their closest competitor ATV is in shambles due to the revolving door in their management ranks) and the "usual" high ratings that all their series get due to lack of competition -- so basically, TVB can put out crappy series (like they have been doing the past 7 years at least, with a few exceptions) and still "own" majority of the market.

You would think that with a company that has been in "business" for so long (42 years), TVB should understand the above concept (admitting mistakes, learning from them, preventing them from repeating). Ironically, TVB has never been one to admit to their shortcomings.

With all the TVB-related "happenings" the last couple months (royalties dispute, favoritism in awards ceremonies, Stephen Chan's corruption scandal, etc.), it has really brought to light some of the inherent "issues" and "problems" that plague TVB -- though, in typical TVB fashion, they would never admit to any of this.

Below is my list of "untruths" that TVB has told (via its various spokes people) in the past few months. This is purely my opinion based on what I have read in various news articles / interviews / statements, etc.


13 "untruths" that TVB has told
**Note: This list is NOT all-inclusive – there are many other instances as well. The below are just a few examples**

1) There are no parties / cliques / groups at TVB

2) There is no favoritism at TVB

3) They always promote based on talent, not favoritism

4) They always promote those who are "most deserving"

5) Upper management has never accepted expensive gifts from its employees

6) They welcome differences in opinion

7) Artists from the Big 4 record companies (i.e.: Eason Chan, Hacken Lee, Hins Cheung, etc.) would not have won at last year's JSG awards even if they were in the running because their "points" would not be "high enough" to overtake Raymond Lam

8) Their Anniversary Awards are always fair and rewards the "most deserving"

9) Their awards shows (TV, music, etc.) are never rigged

10) Asked about whether their artists were being interrogated by ICAC when the Stephen Chan corruption scandal broke out, TVB's response was basically "no comment" and there has been "no effect" on their artists or production.

11) TVB did not “ban” Ekin when they refused to let him promote his movie on their network – it was all a “misunderstanding”

12) They did not purposefully “cut out” references to ATV in last year’s HK Film Awards broadcast – it was a “mistake” by the person doing the editing and he was acting on his own accord based on what he “assumed” was best for the company.

13)  The reason why they changed the lineup to their programming last Sunday night was not because they wanted to compete against the HK Film Awards on ATV, but because they "wanted the audience to be able to watch the finale for the series 'Fistful of Stances' earlier in the night."

My 'TVB Rant' #1: Why I Can't Stand TVB's Politics -- Part 1

Those who know me know that I have an affinity for TVB series. Yes, it's true that I do (though it's more for the series from the 80s / 90s and not the current ones -- but that's a different topic). But as much as I like TVB series, I absolutely despise its management and the way they run their business. TVB is definitely an organization that people like me just love to hate...especially the past several years when the new management came to power.

What I can't stand about TVB (primarily its management team) is their "fakeness" when it comes to how they operate --- the classic example of "do as I say, not as I do".

Some people would argue that TVB as an organization is very shrewd and calculating but that there is nothing wrong with that because they do have a business to run after all. I'm not refuting the fact that they are a business and at the end of the day, need to do what they can to stay "at the top" of the industry -- but that doesn't make their actions right (I mean, even businesses have ethical committees that keep them in check...)

I especially hate how TVB always strives so hard to keep up a certain "image" and "reputation" in front of the media and their business associates, yet behind the scenes, it's a totally different story.

Take the unwritten rule of "not accepting interviews with competitors in Cantonese" concept. Analysis of this situation will give alot of insight into how petty and "fake" TVB really is.

Back when the whole royalty issue erupted between the Big 4 record companies and TVB, some artists (like Kay Tse and Hins Cheung for example) decided to interview with rival stations in Cantonese (whether contracted with TVB or not). The whole issue of contractual obligations was brought to the limelight because the media wanted to see what TVB's reaction would be (knowing how "petty" they are and how they would view these actions as a "slap in the face"). When asked about it, TVB publicly stated that there is no stipulation in the artists (singers) contracts about them not being allowed to interview with rival stations in Cantonese....of course, they try to make themselves "look good" (or perhaps save face) by saying that they (TVB) are very open and encourage artists to "expand" their resource base.

But that's what they SAY.....internally (behind closed doors), they actually "frown upon" artists interviewing with rival stations in Cantonese....but because they can't do anything about it legally (since it's not in the contracts and they can't stop the artists from doing it) and they need to maintain a certain image with the media (since they made themselves out to be so "accepting"), they resort to backhanded 'little actions' to show their discontent and retaliate against the artists who went "against their wishes" -- for example: cutting those artists out of scenes, not interviewing those artists but interviewing everyone around them, giving less screen time to that person while upping the screen time for other artists, putting the artists "in the freezer" by not giving them any opportunities to appear in series or on shows for a long period of time (and of course, when confronted they deny it and hide behind the excuse "there wasn't anything suitable for that artist at the time -- we would not 'freeze' an artist over such a small thing")....in Kay's case, not only did TVB ban her, they went so far as to ban her husband Louis as well (though once again, they say that he has other stuff to do and that's why he's no longer hosting certain shows)...

Another very recent example is Jacky Cheung. As everyone knows, Jacky spoke out against TVB several months ago because of their royalties dispute with the Big 4 record companies. Jacky has nothing against TVB – he’s just speaking out on behalf of everyone in the music industry, because he has been an integral part of the industry and really wants to see the industry get back to the “healthy” and prosperous time period that it experienced back in the 90s. However, with the way TVB treats singers (through boycotting, banning, “freezing”, cutting artists’ songs/appearances, etc.), it’s definitely not healthy. Jacky understands how much work goes into creating a song and it pains him to see singers “disrespected” by having their songs banned or cut just because of a dispute with their record companies.

After Jacky made his position known, TVB started “boycotting” him – not only because he is one of the Big 4 record companies’ artists (Universal), but more importantly, it’s because they are petty and don’t like people saying negative things about them (though it’s the truth). Though TVB has not come right out and said they are banning him (they would never do that, as they need to “save face”), they have proven that they are banning or “retaliating” against Jacky through their actions.

Here are a few examples that I’ve seen in the past couple months (there are more, but this post is already becoming very long):

 Since Jacky spoke out prior to his film “72 Tenants” arriving in theaters, TVB could not really do anything obvious to jeopardize the film, since it’s their own film after all and they need to make money. So during all the promotional events for the movie, TVB would purposefully not “show” him in their news segments unless they absolutely had to (which was very few instances). Instead, they would focus the reports on Eric Tsang or their “favorite” artists such as Raymond Lam, Linda Chung, Bosco Wong, etc. etc. My reaction to this – who is the male lead in this series again? Last time I checked, the leads are Jacky and Eric, yet they only focus the promos on Eric and everyone else…

 During the 1 “defining moment” when Jacky and Eric interviewed with both TVB and i-Cable at the same time during the “72 Tenants” premiere (only because Eric Tsang purposefully made it happen to save TVB some face), TVB kept making it look like they are very “dai fong” (open-minded, welcoming), but yet, when that news segment aired on TVB, all of the i-Cable parts (and majority of Jacky’s interview) were “conveniently” edited out….

 When Jacky held his press conference for the release of his new album, he invited all the media organizations to attend – both i-Cable and ATV not only attended, they also sent news crews to cover the press conference. TVB, on the other hand, sent someone to attend the press conference (again to save face, since it would look too obvious that they were boycotting if they didn’t send anyone), but did not (more like would not) send a news crew to cover the event.

 Ok, this next one really pisses me off – when Harlem Yu (Jacky’s best friend) had a promo event for his HK concert, Jacky of course attended the event to support his friend (plus he’s the main musical guest, so of course it makes sense for him to be there). TVB sent a news crew to the event (because they don’t want to miss out and plus Harlem is a Taiwan artist, so I guess he is “exempt” from this royalties fiasco) – after covering the event, TVB’s news crew / reporters left the event, BUT THEN they went back to the event AFTER Jacky left so that they could interview Harlem. They obviously didn’t want to interview Harlem when Jacky was present because that means they would be forced to interview Jacky as well, so they instead went back after he left. I mean, HOW PETTY IS THAT???? Plus it is VERY DISRESPECTFUL AND RUDE!!!! And I don’t even want to go into the LAME excuse that TVB gave when the situation was all over the papers the next day – needless to say, the response they gave was a typical, lame, TVB lie.

 With the premiere of Jacky’s new romantic comedy “Crossing Hennessy” on 4/1 (way after he spoke out against TVB), there have been a lot of promotional events for the film. TVB did send news crews to cover some of the “big” events related to the movie (like the premiere), however their “backhanded actions” during their coverage makes it very obvious that they are still “boycotting” Jacky. For example, there was one segment on TVB entertainment news where TVB was on set during one of the events and Jacky was there – they showed shots of him “with the group” (because they had to, since they can’t “cut” him out of the group picture – haha!) but when it came to interviews, they refused to include him – in fact, this is where it gets interesting because during one of the events, TVB’s reporters interviewed almost everyone involved with the film EXCEPT Jacky and Paw Hee Ching (and Jacky is the MALE LEAD in the film) – the sad thing is that when they interviewed Andy On, they even interviewed Jennifer Tse (his girlfriend) and she’s NOT EVEN IN THE MOVIE!!! To me, it does not make any sense to interview everyone – even those who are not in the movie – yet, they don’t interview the MALE LEAD….if that’s not boycotting, I don’t know what is!

 Another recent example (this one is fresh off the press from several days ago): Eric Tsang celebrated his birthday several days ago by inviting a bunch of his friends and having a big party. Being one of his best friends, Jacky of course attended the event. In fact, he made an “exemption” for his friend by staying out late and drinking some alcohol with him (which he rarely does nowadays since his daughters were born). All of the newspapers that reported on Eric’s birthday party talked about many of the “guests” that attended and Jacky was always the first one mentioned (since he was one of the “biggest names” at the event). Yet, on TVB’s entertainment news, even though they covered the event and had an entire 10 minute segment dedicated to it, there was NO MENTION of Jacky at all in the coverage – in fact, they didn’t even show him at all in any of the clips that they showed of the guests. I mean, if you were to watch TVB’s biased coverage, you would think that Jacky wasn’t even there – but yet he was one of the biggest guest there! Is that screwed up or what??? I mean, isn’t it obvious that TVB is boycotting him when there is such a HUGE disparity between what every single non-TVB media organization reported /showed and what they showed? Am I the only one who sees this??


At the end of the day, it all boils down to politics -- plain and simple. And perhaps TVB is able to get away with it time and time again because they are such a huge powerhouse and practically monopolize the TV industry in Hong Kong -- it's unfair, frustrating, and annoying....and unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it because majority of the people choose to ignore it….