Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967. With a staff of about 4,500, it is one of two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being its arch-rival, Asia Television Ltd (ATV).
TVB is the first free-to-air (FTA) television broadcaster in Hong Kong. When TVB first began broadcasting, to distinguish it from the cable television broadcaster, Rediffusion Television, it was commonly known as "Wireless Television" ( Cantonese: mo sin din si) in Chinese, although there is more than one terrestrial television station now. The company's current chairman is Sir Run Run Shaw.
TVB currently operates five free channels in Hong Kong.TVB Jade (Cantonese) and TVB Pearl (English) are TVB's flagship television channels. Under the digital terrestrial television platform, which formally commenced on 31 December 2007, J2 and iNEWS are new channels launched with standard definition, while HD Jade is Hong Kong's One-and-Only 24-hour broadcasting channel in high definition. TVB currently provides twelve pay-tv channels for its associated company, TVB Pay Vision Limited.
TVB reaches out to the overseas Chinese communities. Its productions are available in Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, among others, on channels such as TVB's own TVBS-Europe subscription satellite service. In Taiwan, TVB operates through its TVBS subsidiary.
Many of Hong Kong's film and pop stars started their careers at the station through drama series produced by TVB. Special TVB events such as the annual TVB Anniversary Celebration are broadcast to planetary audience. TVB also runs talent programmes such as the annual Miss Hong Kong and Miss Chinese International beauty pageants. Successful contestants may be offered TVB's contracts and represent Hong Kong to take part at world-class beauty contests, including the Miss World Pageant.
The 1970s started to have more success. The British government wanted to request a license for Western wireless multicast programming that involved shareholders around the world that included the United States. It eventually hired foreign voiceovers on foreign programmes until 1976. The station would eventually air the programme called "Frenzy" in 1980.
In January 1984, TVB, what was then called Hong Kong Television Limited, was listed on the Hang Seng Index. However, when TVB wanted to operate a television outside the business, the government stepped in, claiming that the implementation of the "TV shares two control", does not allow the free-to-air station to be a subsidiary of another company. As a result of such, TVB began corporate restructuring, branding as "Hong Kong Television Group", which replaced "Hong Kong TV".
By the late 1980s and into the early 1990s, Hong Kong was in a stagflation. The increased production costs and the slowing economy made business more difficult for TVB. While in stagflation, the government banned cigarette advertising on television, including both TVB and Rediffusion Television, which was later called Asia Television Limited. In response to audience loss during that period, TVB introduced a strict cost control.
In 2004, TVB opened a pay TV service, named "TVB Pay Vision", where, for a fee, viewers have more channels in addition to their free-to-air channels TVB Jade and TVB Pearl. More improvements were underwent in 2007 and 2008.
During this era, new management came into TVB, including Chen Chen-hsiang, Stephen Chan, and Virginia Lok.
TVB receives praise for its programming from a wide range of demographics, including the middle class, as was the case with its 2004 historical drama series War and Beauty. Its programme line-up features a steady stream of soap operas, variety shows and other populist fare.
TVB has been criticised for signing exclusive contracts with many local celebrities which restrict them from appearing on other local television stations. Hong Kong's Cable T.V. claims it is unfair competition (although Asia Television Ltd, another major television station in Hong Kong, disagrees). In fact, many artists do not have exclusive contracts with TVB and are free to show up in programmes produced by other local television stations or out-sourcing production houses.
The annual TVB Music Awards ceremony is one of the biggest for Cantopop personalities. It is widely rumoured that TVB distributes the awards to those who are obedient to the company's demands, and the Independent Commission Against Corruption has investigated the arrangement of the awards. It ruled that three TVB staff members under scrutiny were not guilty. Afterwards, TVB reformed its music programmes in a bid to reestablish their authority.
On the other hand, TVB was awarded the National Association of Broadcasters's (NAB) International Broadcasting Excellence Award in 2001. The award recognised the company's outstanding contributions to the community through a wide range of charitable programmes and activities. Hong Kong thus becomes the first city in Asia to receive this prestigious award in this area.
In 2005, TVB, in association with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, organised the biggest fund-raising campaign in the company's history in response to South-East Asia's devastating tsunami. It raised over one hundred million Hong Kong dollars to assist those affected.
From 31 March 2008, TVBS-Europe launched their "Multi-channel" package in Europe. It consists of 5 different channels which include the existing TVBS-Europe Channel plus the addition of TVBN, TVB Entertainment News, TVB Classic and TVB Lifestyle.
To cope with future development and expansion, TVB began planning in 1998 to develop a replacement facility at the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate. The new HK$2.2 billion TVB City came into full operation in October 2003. The new headquarters are built on by far the largest piece of land ever leased by the then Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation and the first service-providing company in the area. It has a building area of over 110,000 square metres, 30% more than that of the previous facilities at Clear Water Bay. Studio 1 in TVB City, which can seat an audience of six hundred and thirty, is the largest television production studio among commercial television stations in Asia.
TVB is a major television programme producer in Hong Kong, and its programmes usually receive greater ratings than offerings from the other local television stations. Many local and international movie actors, including Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Stephen Chow, began their careers in TVB shows.
The standard of TVB's entertainment programmes, from soap operas to games shows, have also been criticised to be of reducing quality. Soap operas reflect less and less of the lives of the average Hong Kong citizen, and game shows are said to resort to the use of bad language and borderline eroticism, wastage of food and resources, and polluting the minds and children and adolescents.
TVB has also been heavily criticised for being a copycat, copying many elements from the more successful shows on TV, sometimes to the extent that they even copy the entire format of a show, such as Hong Kong Today, with which TVB made Focus on Focus, others drama include "Forensic Heroes" was undeniably a copy from American TV "CSI" , "Dicey Business" was a copy of "Las Vegas" .
Category:Companies of Hong Kong Category:Hong Kong media Category:Hong Kong television Category:Former Hang Seng Index Constituent Stocks Category:Companies established in 1967 Category:Television stations in China Category:Chinese television networks
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