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Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is a
television broadcasting A television network or television broadcaster is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay television providers. Until the mid- ...
company based in
Hong Kong SAR Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
. The Company operates five free-to-air
terrestrial television Terrestrial television or over-the-air television (OTA) is a type of television broadcasting in which the signal transmission occurs via radio waves from the terrestrial (Earth-based) transmitter of a TV station to a TV receiver having an ante ...
channels in Hong Kong, with
TVB Jade TVB Jade (), or simply Jade, is a Hong Kong Cantonese-language free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as its flagship service, alongside its sister network, the English-language TVB Pearl. Br ...
as its main
Cantonese language Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
service, and
TVB Pearl TVB Pearl is a terrestrial television channel in Hong Kong owned by Television Broadcasts Limited. Established on 19 November 1967, it shares headquarters with TVB's other properties at TVB City at 77 Chun Choi Street in Tseung Kwan O Industr ...
as its main
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
service. TVB is headquartered at
TVB City TVB City (), is the headquarters of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties located at 77 Chun Choi Street in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon. The HK$2.2 billion facility officiall ...
at the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate. TVB commenced broadcasting on November 19, 1967. The Company was incorporated on July 26, 1965 and was co-founded by Sir
Run Run Shaw Sir Run Run Shaw (19 November 1907 – 7 January 2014), also known as Shao Yifu and Siu Yat-fu, was a Hong Kong entertainment mogul and philanthropist. He was one of the most influential figures in the Asian entertainment industry. He founde ...
, who was Chairman from 1980 to 2011, together with
Sir Douglas Clague Sir Douglas Clague (13 June 1917 – 11 March 1981) was a British Hong Kong soldier and entrepreneur who spent most of his life in Hong Kong. Early Years Born in South Rhodesia, in 1917, Clague arrived in Hong Kong in 1940 as a lieutenant in ...
and Harold Lee Hsiao-wo of the
Lee Hysan Lee Hysan or Lee Hy-san (1879 – 30 April 1928) was a Hong Kong businessman who was involved in the opium trade and refinery, as well as land development in British Hong Kong during the early 1900s. He was nicknamed the ''Opium King'' in Hong ...
family. When TVB first began broadcasting it was commonly known and promoted as "Wireless Television" () in Chinese to distinguish it from the then cable television broadcaster,
Rediffusion Television Rediffusion Television (RTV) was the first television station in Hong Kong, making it both the first British colony and the first predominantly ethnically Chinese city to have television.Kitley, Philip. 003(2003). Television, Regulation and ...
(), which later became ATV (). It is still usually referred to with that name, although ATV later switched to "wireless" (free-to-air) broadcasting as well. TVB is known primarily for its
dramas Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been c ...
, and produces the
Miss Hong Kong The Miss Hong Kong Pageant (), or Miss HK () for short, is an annual beauty pageant organised by local Hong Kong television station, TVB. The pageant was established in 1946, and acquired by TVB in 1973. The current Miss Hong Kong is Denice La ...
and
Miss Chinese International Miss Chinese International Pageant (, formerly 國際華裔小姐競選), or MCI () for short, is an annual international beauty pageant, organized and broadcast by TVB, a network television station in Hong Kong. It was established in 1988 and t ...
pageants. It has historically been the leading television broadcaster in Hong Kong.


History


Origins

The government set up a working party in the early 1960s to study the idea of setting up a second television station in Hong Kong, where the only television at that time was the wired, subscription-supported
Rediffusion Television Rediffusion Television (RTV) was the first television station in Hong Kong, making it both the first British colony and the first predominantly ethnically Chinese city to have television.Kitley, Philip. 003(2003). Television, Regulation and ...
. There was debate as to whether the second station should be set up as a Crown corporation, like the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
; a purely commercial enterprise; or a combination of the two. Another challenge lay in procuring enough content for the new station. In 1962, Director of Information Services J.L. Murray stated that while English programming could be purchased from other countries, "no country is producing a mass of suitable pre-recorded material in Chinese". Even though Hong Kong was already regarded as a centre for film production, it was considered a challenge to source enough Chinese-language content for another television station, as most of it would need to be produced in Hong Kong. Regardless, there was commercial interest in the concept. A government franchise for a new wireless (free-to-air) television station was opened for tenders on 6 February 1965 and closed on 6 August 1965. On 25 January 1966 it was announced that Television Broadcasts Limited had won the franchise.


Opening

The new Television Broadcasts Limited station on
Broadcast Drive Broadcast Drive is a road in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. The road is notable as it is only 1 km long but having played host to all five broadcasting outlets in Hong Kong at one point in the 1970s, and the hill on which the road is located ...
in Kowloon Tong, Kowloon was officially opened by Governor
David Trench Sir David Clive Crosbie Trench (; 2 June 1915 – 4 December 1988) was a British Army officer and colonial governor. Early life Trench was educated at Tonbridge School, Tonbridge, Kent and graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge with the degre ...
on 19 November 1967. The governor spoke of the potential for television to better society, stating that the new station would play a significant role in "helping and enlighting our people", calling television "one of the most potent means of disseminating information there is". The first images shown on the station were a live transmission of the
Macau Grand Prix The Macau Grand Prix ( pt, Grande Prémio de Macau; ) is a motorsport road race for automobiles and motorcycles held annually in Macau. It is the only street circuit racing event in which both cars and motorcycles participate, and one of onl ...
, which began broadcasting at 9:00 am that day and was interrupted by footage of the opening of the new station. The first colour broadcast was then made, a feature called "London Calling Hongkong" which constituted greetings from former governors
Alexander Grantham Sir Alexander William George Herder Grantham, GCMG (; 15 March 1899 – 4 October 1978) was a British colonial administrator who governed Hong Kong and Fiji. Early life, colonial administration career Grantham was born on 15 March 1899 ...
and Robert Black. Following this was a piano recital by Chiu Yee-ha, who had also performed at the opening of the
Hong Kong City Hall Hong Kong City Hall () is a building located at Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong is a " Special Administrative Region" and not a normal Chinese city, there is no mayor or city council; therefore, the ...
. The new station broadcast both Cantonese-language and English-language channels. The Cantonese channel, called TVB Jade, began regular service on 4:30 pm that day on Channel 21, while the English service (TVB Pearl) began at 6:00 pm on Channel 25. The inaugural programming lineup included ''
Enjoy Yourself Tonight ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' or ''EYT'' is a popular variety show that was produced in British Hong Kong. It first aired on TVB Jade on 20 November 1967. The show lasted 27 years with its last broadcast on Friday, 7 October 1994.Chinanews.com.cn ...
'', a Chinese language variety show, and ''Meet The Press'', an English current affairs programme.


Infrastructure development

Hong Kong's mountainous topography posed a challenge to TVB, which was Hong Kong's first television station broadcast wirelessly, using a terrestrial television transmitter instead of a complex coaxial cable network. A network of transmitters, built atop various mountains, helped provide coverage to the territory. The main transmitter was built at Temple Hill, above Kowloon, to reach most of the main populated centre of Hong Kong as well as parts of the New Territories. Two
broadcast relay station A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater ( two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tr ...
s were came into operation on 15 May 1968: one at
Lamma Island Lamma Island, also known as Y Island or Pok Liu Chau or simply Pok Liu, is the third largest island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District. Name Lamma Island was named Lamma only because of a chart reading error by ...
expanded coverage to Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen, Repulse Bay, and parts of Stanley, while another at Castle Peak covered Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, and Ping Shan. A third booster station, located on Cloudy Hill, was activated in June 1968 and brought TVB reception to Fanling, Taipo, and Sheung Shui.


Development

* 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 ''War and Beauty'' () is a Hong Kong television period drama serial that originally aired on TVB Jade from 23 August to 2 October 2004, consisting of 30 episodes. It stars TVB Best Actress winners Sheren Tang (2009/2010), Maggie Cheung (2003), ...
''. 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 Asia Television Limited (, also known as ATV) is a digital media and broadcasting company in Hong Kong. Established as the first television service in Hong Kong as Rediffusion Television () on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial television ...
, 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 Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") or HK-pop (short for "Hong Kong pop music") is a genre of pop music written in standard Chinese and sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production ...
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 The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name ...
, 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 Dollar The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is subdivided into 100 cents or 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong ...
s to assist those affected. * In 2000, TVB Australia was established for the Australian market with a 17 channel (14 Chinese and 3 Vietnamese Channel) satellite service. Which has over 25,000 households and over 1,500 commercial outlets with an audience of over 130,000 daily. * 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.


Location

TVB was originally located on
Broadcast Drive Broadcast Drive is a road in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. The road is notable as it is only 1 km long but having played host to all five broadcasting outlets in Hong Kong at one point in the 1970s, and the hill on which the road is located ...
in Kowloon Tong, and was neighbours with
RTHK Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) is the public broadcasting service in Hong Kong. GOW, the predecessor to RTHK, was established in 1928 as the first broadcasting service in Hong Kong. As a government department under the Commerce and Econo ...
and ATV. By the late 1980s, the company had out-grown the facility at Broadcast Drive, and built a new studio complex, named T.V. City, at 220
Clear Water Bay Clear Water Bay () is a bay on the eastern shore of Clear Water Bay Peninsula of Hong Kong, located within Clear Water Bay Country Park. There are two beaches at Clear Water Bay: " Clear Water Bay First Beach" and "Clear Water Bay Second Beach" ...
Road in November 1988. The first TVB City was in fact the old Shaw Movie Town complex used by Shaw Brothers since 1958. The old Broadcast Drive headquarters was later converted into apartments. The first TVB City is now used by
Celestial Pictures Celestial Pictures is a diversified entertainment company focusing on Asian-language film and television content including production, aggregation, distribution and the operation of TV channels. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company owns th ...
. 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 TVB City (), is the headquarters of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) developed by Sun Hung Kai Properties located at 77 Chun Choi Street in the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, Tseung Kwan O, Kowloon. The HK$2.2 billion facility officiall ...
, which can seat an audience of six hundred and thirty, is the largest television production studio among commercial television stations in Asia.


News operation

TVB broadcasts several news programmes, such as News at 6:30 (Jade) and News at 7:30 (Pearl). It also operates its own news channel, TVBN. () and TVBN2 (), through TVB Network Vision ().


Notable shows from TVB

* ''
Enjoy Yourself Tonight ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' or ''EYT'' is a popular variety show that was produced in British Hong Kong. It first aired on TVB Jade on 20 November 1967. The show lasted 27 years with its last broadcast on Friday, 7 October 1994.Chinanews.com.cn ...
'' or EYT (1967–1994), a long-running variety show which has been compared with the American ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
''. * ''
The Bund The Bund or Waitan (, Shanghainese romanization: ''Nga3thae1'', , ) is a waterfront area and a protected historical district in central Shanghai. The area centers on a section of Zhongshan Road (East Zhongshan Road No.1) within the former Shan ...
'' (1980), starring
Chow Yun-fat Chow Yun-fat (born 18 May 1955), previously known as Donald Chow, is a Hong Kong actor. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the five Hong Kong action heroic bloodshed films: '' A Better Tomorrow'', '' A ...
. The drama was a success throughout Asia, inspiring several television and film adaptations. * ''
The Legend of the Condor Heroes ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' is a wuxia novel by Chinese writer Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the first part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and is followed by '' The Return of the Condor Heroes'' and '' The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber''. I ...
'' (1983), a serial adaptation of
Louis Cha Louis Cha Leung-yung (; 10 March 1924 – 30 October 2018), better known by his pen name Jin Yong (), pronounced "Gum Yoong" in Cantonese, was a Chinese wuxia ("martial arts and chivalry") novelist and essayist who co-founded the Hong Kong dail ...
's
wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...
novel of the same name, starring
Felix Wong Felix Wong Yat-wah (born September 4, 1961) is a Hong Kong actor and singer best known for his performances in many ''wuxia'' television series produced by TVB, such as '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' (1983), in which he played the protagoni ...
and Barbara Yung. * ''
The Return of the Condor Heroes ''The Return of the Condor Heroes'', also called ''The Giant Eagle and Its Companion'', is a wuxia novel by Jin Yong (Louis Cha). It is the second part of the '' Condor Trilogy'' and was preceded by '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' and foll ...
'' (1983), sequel to ''The Legend of the Condor Heroes'', is a serial adaptation of Louis Cha's wuxia novel of the same name, starring
Andy Lau Andy Lau Tak-wah (; born 27 September 1961) is a Hong Kong actor, singer-songwriter and film producer. He has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maint ...
and Idy Chan. * ''
Looking Back in Anger ''Looking Back in Anger'' () was a 1989 Hong Kong TV series and one of the most watched TVB series by Chinese people in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and around the world. Many factors contributed to the success of this series. As well as its tra ...
'' (1989), is a tragic serial drama starring
Felix Wong Felix Wong Yat-wah (born September 4, 1961) is a Hong Kong actor and singer best known for his performances in many ''wuxia'' television series produced by TVB, such as '' The Legend of the Condor Heroes'' (1983), in which he played the protagoni ...
,
Deric Wan Deric Wan Siu-lun (born 18 November 1964) is a Hong Kong actor, singer, and songwriter who has starred in numerous television series and released several studio albums. His representative works include a duet with Nadia Chan, a cover of the s ...
, and Carina Lau. It is the most-watched Hong Kong drama in the
Greater China Greater China is an informal geographical area that shares commercial and cultural ties with the Han Chinese people. The notion of "Greater China" refers to the area that usually encompasses Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan in East ...
region. * ''
The Greed of Man ''The Greed of Man'' is a Hong Kong television series first broadcast on TVB Jade in 1992.Dianying.com.Dianying.com" ''The Greed of Man.'' Retrieved on 2009-08-11. The story, spanning three decades from the 1970s to the 1990s in Hong Kong and Ta ...
'' (1992), starring Adam Cheng and
Sean Lau Sean Lau Ching-wan (born 16 February 1964) is a Hong Kong actor who has acted in both films and television series. He won Best Actor in the 2007 and 2015 Hong Kong Film Awards and in the 2000 and 2007 Golden Bauhinia Awards. Career Lau was born ...
. Its original broadcast heavily impacted international stockbrokers, creating the phenomenon known as the Ting Hai effect. * The ''
File of Justice series The File of Justice (壹號皇庭) is a series of Hong Kong legal drama produced by TVB. There were 5 seasons produced, the first was aired in 1992 spanning 13 episodes. The series revolves around a group of lawyers and legal personnel with storie ...
'' (1992–1997) was a popular legal drama series, spanning five seasons. It is regarded by some as the Hong Kong version of the American '' Law & Order''. * '' A Kindred Spirit'' (1995–1999), the second longest-running drama series in Hong Kong television history. * ''
Super Trio Series The ''Super Trio Series'' is a Hong Kong variety show series produced by TVB. It debuted in 1995, and remained in production for eighteen years due to its popularity. The show was hosted by Eric Tsang and his two assistants - Jerry Lamb and Chin ...
'' (1995–2014), a popular variety game show. * ''
Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popul ...
'' (1996) was one of the few
TVB Jade TVB Jade (), or simply Jade, is a Hong Kong Cantonese-language free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as its flagship service, alongside its sister network, the English-language TVB Pearl. Br ...
programmes to be dubbed in English and rebroadcast on
TVB Pearl TVB Pearl is a terrestrial television channel in Hong Kong owned by Television Broadcasts Limited. Established on 19 November 1967, it shares headquarters with TVB's other properties at TVB City at 77 Chun Choi Street in Tseung Kwan O Industr ...
. * ''
Old Time Buddy ''Old Time Buddy'' () is a 1997 Hong Kong period comedy television drama created and produced by TVB. The Chinese title translates to "brothers in hardship." ''Old Time Buddy'' is set primarily in the 1960s and tells the story of two struggling ...
'' (1997), a comedy-drama that satires Hong Kong's filming industry in the 1960s. It was the first drama to win "Best Drama" at the inaugural
TVB Anniversary Awards The TVB Anniversary Awards (), officially known as the TVB Awards Presentation, is an annual awards ceremony honoring TVB's programming achievements in Hong Kong television; despite claims that it is the region's equivalent to the American E ...
. * ''
Secret of the Heart ''Secret of the Heart'' is a 1998 Hong Kong television drama produced by TVB that was first aired from 16 February to 10 May 1998. The drama had a powerful roster cast that is made up of Felix Wong, Gallen Lo, Sunny Chan, Nick Cheung, Amy Kwok, ...
'' (1998), a soap opera that popularised relationship triangles in serial dramas. * The ''
Armed Reaction Armed Reaction () is a 1998 Hong Kong modern cop drama produced by TVB. The drama stars Bobby Au-yeung and Esther Kwan as the main leads with Joyce Tang, Marco Ngai, Mimi Chu and Joe Ma in main supporting roles. Original broadcast of the serie ...
'' series (1998–2004) was a popular crime drama series dealing with discrimination women face within the police force. The series spanned five seasons with the latest Armed Reaction 2021. * The '' Healing Hands series'' (1998–2005) was a popular medical drama series known for its remarkable medical accuracy. It is commonly known as Hong Kong's version of America's '' ER''. The first season yielded "Best Drama" award in 1998. * '' At the Threshold of an Era'' (1999–2000) is an epic drama featuring a large ensemble cast. It is TVB's second most expensive drama to date. * '' War of the Genders'' (2000), a sitcom starring
Carol Cheng Carol Cheng Yu Ling ( Traditional Chinese: 鄭裕玲; born 9 September 1957), is a Hong Kong film/television actress and host. Arguably one of the most famous celebrities to have emerged during the British colonial period, Cheng made her break ...
and Dayo Wong, is considered by many as TVB's most critically acclaimed sitcom. It held the title as TVB's highest-rated drama (49 points) until the broadcast of Korea's '' Jewel in the Palace'' in 2005. Cheng won "Best Actress" for her role. * ''
Virtues of Harmony {{Infobox television , image = Virtues of Harmony.jpg , caption = Official poster , alt_name = , genre = Historical period sitcom , creator = Tsui Yu-on , developer ...
'' (2001–2005) is one of the longest running sitcoms in Hong Kong, yielding two seasons – a historical costume series with a modern-day spin-off. * ''
Square Pegs ''Square Pegs'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1982–1983 season. The series follows Patty Greene (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Lauren Hutchinson ( Amy Linker), two awkward teenage girls desperate to fit in at Weemawee High S ...
'' (2003), a drama serial starring Roger Kwok, depicts the life of a mentally-retarded young man. It received an average viewership rating of 37 points, the highest in TVB's broadcast history. Kwok also won "Best Actor" for his role. A second series was released in 2005, yielding Kwok his second "Best Actor" award. * '' Triumph in the Skies'' (2003) and ''
Triumph in the Skies II ''Triumph in the Skies II'' () is a 2013 television drama produced by TVB under executive producer Tommy Leung. It is a direct sequel to TVB's 2003 blockbuster television drama ''Triumph in the Skies''. It stars Francis Ng, Julian Cheung, Myolie ...
'' (2013), a drama series revolving around the staff and pilots working for Solar Airways, a fictional version of Cathay Pacific. ''Triumph in the Skies'' was also adapted into a motion picture. * ''
War and Beauty ''War and Beauty'' () is a Hong Kong television period drama serial that originally aired on TVB Jade from 23 August to 2 October 2004, consisting of 30 episodes. It stars TVB Best Actress winners Sheren Tang (2009/2010), Maggie Cheung (2003), ...
'' (2004), a costume drama serial that focuses on four concubines of the
Jiaqing Emperor The Jiaqing Emperor (13 November 1760 – 2 September 1820), also known by his temple name Emperor Renzong of Qing, born Yongyan, was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the fifth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from ...
. The series popularised historical palace harem dramas. * '' Moonlight Resonance'' (2008), the sister production of '' Heart of Greed'' (2007). The drama peaked to 50 points, one of the highest in Hong Kong television history. * '' EU'' (2009), the third season of '' The Academy'' series.
Michael Tse Michael Tse Tin-wah (born 15 July 1967) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Background Michael Tse graduated from TVB's Dance Training Class and worked with TVB as a dancer for five years. He then left TVB and formed a boy band group called 風 ...
's character, Laughing Gor, inspired one film spin-off and one sequel television series. * ''
Rosy Business ''Rosy Business'' () is a 2009 Hong Kong period television drama produced by Lee Tim-sing and TVB. Comprising 25 episodes, it originally aired on the Jade network from 27 April to 29 May 2009. Set in Eastern China during the mid-19th century ...
'' (2009), award-winning costume drama, swept the 2009 TVB Anniversary Awards in almost all major categories. * '' Beyond the Realm of Conscience'' (2009), a costume period drama that peaked to 50 points, one of the highest in Hong Kong television history. * '' When Heaven Burns'' (2011), "Best Drama" winner at the 2012 TVB Anniversary Awards. Despite its critical acclaim, it is one of the lowest-rated series in television history. The last few episodes were also banned in Mainland China due to references of the
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 The Tiananmen Square protests, known in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident (), were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square, Beijing during 1989. In what is known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, or in Chinese the June Fourth ...
. * ''
Line Walker ''Line Walker'' ( literally "Apostle Walker") is a 2014 Hong Kong crime thriller drama produced by TVB, starring Michael Miu, Charmaine Sheh and Raymond Lam as the main leads, with Sharon Chan, Benz Hui, Elena Kong, Sammy Sum, Oscar Leung an ...
'' (2014), a crime drama that spawned teo film sequel and a television series prequel Line Walker: The Prelude (2017) and sequel Line Walker: Bull Fight (2020). It is the most-viewed Hong Kong drama in Mainland China, with over 2 billion views on Youku. It has also created a 2 episode game show called '' Line Walker Hunting Game'' (2017). * '' A Fist Within Four Walls'' (2016), a martial arts drama set in Kowloon Walled City that won Best TVB Drama at all the award presentations, with many of the cast from A Fist Within Four Walls winning awards. It swept the TVB 2016 Award Presentation with 5 awards: My Favourite TVB Female Character, My Favourite TVB Male Character, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Drama Series. * '' Come Home Love: Lo and Behold'' (2017), another long running TV series that revolves around a middle-class family and an affluent family. Due to the sensational ratings, at the beginning of 2020, the drama is decided to be aired every day at 20:00 to 20:30. * ''
Legal Mavericks ''Legal Mavericks'' (; literally “Crossing the Line") is a Legal, Crime, Detective television drama created by Lam Chi-wah and TVB. It began principal photography in October 2016. It aired concurrently on TVB Jade, and iQiyi. The second s ...
'' (2017) Swept TVB Starhub Awards 2017


Corruption probe

On 11 March 2010, the general manager Stephen Chan Chi Wan and four others were arrested on corruption charges by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). TVB confirmed that three of their employees were involved, and that their duties and work had been suspended pending further development. Stephen Chan Chi Wan was charged with corruption in September 2010 with TVB declining to comment on the situation. Stephen Chan and his co-accused were acquitted by a court in September 2011.


Controversy and criticism

Since the 2000 June 4 rally, TVB has been increasingly criticised for its pro-China bias. Netizens of
HKGolden The HKGolden (Hong Kong Golden Forum; ) is an Internet forum for topics related to computer hardware and software among Internet users in Hong Kong in the early 2000s. HKGolden has become an Internet community. The forum is a part of HKGolden.co ...
and
LIHKG LIHKG ( zh, t=連登, cy=Lìhn dāng) is a multi-category forum website based in Hong Kong. The website has gained popularity since the launch in 2016, and is often referred to as the Hong Kong version of Reddit. Threads with more up-votes and r ...
have called it "CCTVB", as a reference to China's state-controlled broadcaster CCTV. During the
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, TVB's programmes, most especially its news reports were accused of providing biased coverage of the protests, with a pro-China slant. As a result of public boycotts, numerous brands officially pulled out of advertising contracts with TVB, including
Pocari Sweat , Pokari Suetto is a Japanese sports drink, manufactured by Otsuka Pharmaceutical. It was launched in 1980, and is mostly well known across Asia and the Middle East; it is also available in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Mexico. Poca ...
and
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert a ...
.


Decline

On 29 June 2018, the South China Morning Post quoted insider information that TVBI and the Broadcast Operation Department had laid off 100 people for two consecutive days. By July, a cutdown by 30 in the sports department was announced, leaving only 5 people. The long-established show "Sports World" aired its final episode on 7 July 2018. myTV SUPER sports channel will end on 15 August. By July, the "Hong Kong Animation Information Network" Facebook page stated that the dubbing group of about 70 people had been cut to 4, and there would be large-scale layoffs. Netizens expressed anger at this. TVB's General Manager Shin Keong Cheong said he did not renew his contract and denied the layoffs. By August, in the interim results of TV broadcasting, the print version of TVB Weekly had been suspended and switched to an online version. The TVB8 and TVB Galaxy websites serving overseas ceased service in September 2018. MyTV Super's TVB Sports Channel and live news station had also stopped broadcasting with the TVB Travel Channel. It is reported that TVB will lay off 800 people. On 5 October, the same year, TVB announced the reduction of about 150 employees from TVB Weekly, the Production Coordination Department, the Arts Division and non-drama productions, which took effect on the same day. The layoffs included at least one producer and two directors of "Pleasure & Leisure". In December 2019, Pro-government broadsheet Sing Tao Daily reported that TVB's current chairman, Charles Chan, is about to withdraw from his shares and intends to resign as chairman to leave TV Broadcasting Co., Ltd. On 16 December, Chief Executive Mark Lee issued an internal notice stating that about 350 employees would be cut, accounting for about 10% of the company's remaining employees. Following this, on 20 December, more than 50 behind-the-scenes staff members were fired, most of them from the variety show and the information, cultural and educational departments. On 20 January 2020, Charles Chan finally resigned as the chairman of the TVB board and as a non-executive director, and will sell all television broadcasting shares.


Channel list


Hong Kong Free-to-air

* TVB Finance, Sports & Information Channel *
TVB Jade TVB Jade (), or simply Jade, is a Hong Kong Cantonese-language free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as its flagship service, alongside its sister network, the English-language TVB Pearl. Br ...
*
TVB J2 TVB J2 () is a Digital TV Channel specially established by Television Broadcasts Limited, a commercial television station which first began broadcasting in 1967, for their new and free digital TV network in Hong Kong. It was officially launch ...
*
TVB News Channel TVB News Channel (previously TVB iNews) is a 24-hour non-stop Cantonese news and information channel based in Hong Kong and Asia, utilizing the resources of TVB News TVB News (), formally known as the News and Information Division (), is the ...
*
TVB Pearl TVB Pearl is a terrestrial television channel in Hong Kong owned by Television Broadcasts Limited. Established on 19 November 1967, it shares headquarters with TVB's other properties at TVB City at 77 Chun Choi Street in Tseung Kwan O Industr ...


MyTV SUPER

TVB Network Vision ceased its service since 1 June 2017,https://www.tvbnetworkvision.com/tc/ and the OTT platform named MyTV SUPER (expanded from MyTV and GOTV) replace TVB Network Vision to provide the paid television service. In addition, the company name of "TVB Network Vision" became " Big Big Channel". * Asian Select * Asian Variety * Chinese Drama * Chinese Opera Channel * Classic Movies * Entertainment News * Food * Jade Catch Up * Japanese Drama * Korean Drama * Sports * TVB Classic * TVB Radio * TVBN 2 * Travel


International

* Asian Action Channel * Hub Cantonese on Demand (Co-owned with
Starhub StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). History ...
; Singapore only) * Hub Drama First (
Starhub StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). History ...
, Singapore only) *
Fairchild TV Fairchild TV or FTV is a Canadian Cantonese language exempt specialty channel."Waging a war over a large, wealthy, educated audience ; Fairchild TV and CFMT are battling it out to deliver the news to Canada's Chinese community". ''Toronto Star'' ...
''(20% ownership; co-owned with Fairchild Group)'' * Jadeworld (USA) * TVB Chinese Opera Channel (International version) * TVB Entertainment News (International version) *
TVB Jade TVB Jade (), or simply Jade, is a Hong Kong Cantonese-language free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as its flagship service, alongside its sister network, the English-language TVB Pearl. Br ...
(International version) * TVB Korea Channel *
TVB News Channel TVB News Channel (previously TVB iNews) is a 24-hour non-stop Cantonese news and information channel based in Hong Kong and Asia, utilizing the resources of TVB News TVB News (), formally known as the News and Information Division (), is the ...
(International version) * TVB Finance, Sports & Information Channel (International version) * TVB Vietnam (Vietnam only, owned by SCTV9) *
TVB Xing He TVB Xing He 星河 is a HK pay television channel owned by TVB International. History On 31 December 2017, TVB Satellite Broadcasting Limited was established. and is the only one to enter overseas Chinese satellite TV market. TVB Xing He Chann ...
(Asia & Thailand version only) * TVB-Europe * TVB Jade Southeast Asia (Malaysia & Singapore) * Hub VV Drama (
Starhub StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). History ...
, Singapore only; Selected TVB Drama in Mandarin dubbed)


Malaysia

Co-owned with Astro: * Asian Action Channel * Astro AOD HD * Astro Wah Lai Toi On Demand * TVB Golden Jade Southeast Asia * TVB Jade Southeast Asia *
TVB Xing He TVB Xing He 星河 is a HK pay television channel owned by TVB International. History On 31 December 2017, TVB Satellite Broadcasting Limited was established. and is the only one to enter overseas Chinese satellite TV market. TVB Xing He Chann ...
* TVBS-Asia * TVBS News


Thailand

* TVB Drama Thai Channel (V2H8)


See also

* List of Chinese companies *
List of Hong Kong companies Hong Kong is an autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China on the Pearl River Delta of East Asia. Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consiste ...
* TVB News *
HKTV Hong Kong Technology Venture Company Limited (HKTV, ) is a Hong Kong-based technology company primarily known for its e-commerce platform and once had plans to become a television station. HKTV currently provides an over-the-top shopping and ...


References


External links

*
YouTube -TVB (official)
*
Hong Kong's TV and Film Publication Database
a full collection of "TV Week", the official TVB magazines published between 1967 and 1997. Developed by HKBU Library {{Authority control Talent agencies of Hong Kong Mass media companies established in 1967 1967 establishments in Hong Kong Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Former companies in the Hang Seng Index Television censorship in China