HKTV Stops Production, No More Dramas After September

Ricky Wong’s (王維基) upstart television station HKTV produced 17 dramas in two years, but despite their enthusiasm in television-making, the struggling TV station will have to halt its drama production. While the station premiered to 385,000 viewers per day back in November 2014, viewers have now dropped to about only 25,000 visitors per week, losing 95 percent of its audience in seven months.

Due to plunging viewership ratings, HKTV said it will stop producing new dramas. Currently, the station has five more in-house dramas left to air. The station will start airing overseas series after September.

A spokesperson confirmed yesterday, “We will temporarily stop production. Considering that each episode takes at least $1 million HKD to produce, the income coming from internet commercials are not enough. Since we don’t have enough [monetary] support, we rather not film anymore. We have to wait for the results of the judicial review before determining our new developments.”

Last year, HKTV filed a judicial review to the court, seeking permission to use its mobile TV service in the digital terrestrial multimedia broadcasting standard. HKTV is still awaiting the court’s decision.

Sunny Chan (陳錦鴻), who signed a two-year contract with HKTV, commented, “I do not feel sorry for Ricky Wong. I feel sorry for Hong Kong. The Hong Kong people are not farmers or fishermen. We get live in such a wealthy and populated environment, yet we still do not have the option to choose. This is what makes us feel so helpless.”

While attending an awards ceremony yesterday, Ricky Wong expressed that he “can’t do television anymore.” However, HKTV will continue its online shopping service.

Meanwhile, HKTV’s main competitors TVB and Now TV have announced that they will produce more co-productions with Mainland China. TVB announced its partnership with Alibaba Group and stated that it will start making more dramas with its Mainland audience in mind.

Remaining HKTV Dramas:

June 22 — July 17, 2015
The Wicked League <惡毒老人同盟>
20 episodes
Starring: John Chiang, Yuen Wah, Kwok Fung, Pak Piu, Peter Lai, Li Fung, Fung So Bo, May Tse

July 20 — 23, 2015
P4B <四年B班>
4 episodes
Starring: Sam Chan, Joman Chiang, Kwok Fung, Crystal Leung

July 24 — August 18, 2015
Hidden Faces <三面形醫>
18 episodes
Starring: Frankie Lam, John Chiang, Ai Wai, Kate Yeung, Sam Chan, Leanne Ho, Leslie Chiang, Rain Lau

August 19 — September 9, 2015
Paranormal Mind <開腦儆探>
16 episodes
Starring: Felix Wong, Sam Lee, Grace Huang, Kelvin Kwan, Adrian Wong, Anita Chan, Lo Hoi Pang, Kathy Yuen

September 10 — September 24, 2015
Night Shift <夜班>
11 episodes
Starring: Frankie Lam, Dominic Lam, Kathy Yuen, Kwok Fung, Sin Ho Ying, Philip Keung

Source: ihktv

This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.

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Responses

  1. their drama was indeed higher quality… but HK were not ready for the change, and not having a free licence channel it does affect them. The people who watch TV doesn’t know much technology.

  2. No. Hktv drama is good at the first few episodes, then became extremely lengthy on the mid epi. I watched US, UK, SG, SK and of course TVB. They are still better than hktv.

    1. @dramadrama agreed. Saw that first cop series but it got so boring in the middle and the script is too predictable. Didn’t want to watch anymore series after that.

  3. It’s funny how a country’s broadcasting company have other country’s interest in mind…

  4. Why people said bad things. Just think if u r star in HK. U want like Hollywood freelance. Where the M goes and the script. HKTV think how Netflix work goes from there. The last think I can’t said HK country thinks. Please don’t acts stupid.

  5. To HKTV please don’t stop here. Look at Netflex. It want china market. Please use Netflex and piad per view methods. Don’t use TVB.

  6. Someone update why ATV is failing but HKTV cannot get the license? And why can’t HKTV just buy ATV when they are failing?

    1. @mike ATV is failing because of it’s debts getting more and more that they had to delay paying their worker’s salary at one point. The TV broadcast license is approved by the government or the Chief Executive (a big post in Hong Kong equivilant to a President/Minister), which obviously they are on TVB’s side and denied HKTV’s license due to their many years of relationship and so on. Not to mention politics are dirty. TVB might have paid the Chief Executive money to deny HKTV’s license, who knows. Buying over ATV is expensive because of their debts. If Ricky were to buy ATV, he has to repay all their debts which he did not want. There was a concrete offer from HKTV to air their dramas on ATV at the prime timeslot for 5 million HKD per month but ATV was greedy and asked for 10 million instead which of course HKTV denied.

  7. Oh No…!! Bad news. I do enjoy some of their series some are even better then TVB Series … And now they are going to stop production too bad… hopefully they can re-consider to keep on going … their show of series are not bad..

    1. @jessamine0830 They will not re consider. This is business. It costs $1 million HKD to make 1 episode. They’re barely even recouping half of what they spent on. Until they get the TV license, I’m very sure HKTV will halt production indefinitely. Anyway, they’ve already halt production every since the end of 2013. It’s only in 2014 that they suddenly film 1 more drama, which is Election.

  8. I’ve very sad to read this. I didn’t watch all their series because I don’t have time. But, of the ones I’ve watch I like them. Watching ‘Doom+5’. Enjoyed the first episode 1. Now watching the second.

    I hope they can get the TV license so that they will continue to produce series.

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