2.1 Number of Licensees

Since the opening up of the television market in 2000, the total number of domestic free, domestic pay and non-domestic television licensees increased from 8 in 2000 to 19 in 2004.

The number of domestic free television programme service licensees remained at two, viz. Asia Television Limited (ATV) and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB).

In 2004, the number of domestic pay television programme service licensees decreased from five to three over the previous year. TV Plus and Yes TV surrendered their licences. The remaining three domestic pay television programme service licensees were HKCTV, PCCW Media and Galaxy.

As at August 2004, there were 14 non-domestic television programme service licensees and 23 other licensable television programme service licensees providing television services in 74 hotels in Hong Kong. Two more media organisations, viz. Skywave TV Company Limited (Skywave) and ATV, obtained the non-domestic television programme service licence in the reporting period.

The number of sound broadcasting licensees remained at two with CRHK and Metro.

Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), a government department, is the public broadcaster in Hong Kong. In addition to radio broadcasting, RTHK also produced television programmes for broadcast by the domestic free and domestic pay TV licensees.

Figure 2 : Television and Radio Licensees in Hong Kong ²

ZOOM

²Some channels were provided by more than one domestic pay and/or non-domestic television programme service