2010 TVB monopoly case
| Industry | Broadcasting |
|---|---|
Area served | Hong Kong |
Background
For an extended period, ATV, recognized as TVB's primary competitor in free-to-air broadcasting, was perceived as supportive of Beijing, which enabled TVB to maintain its leading position in audience ratings and market dominance. Nevertheless, concerns about TVB’s self-censorship surfaced during the 2009 Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority forum, leading to significant allegations of monopolistic behavior.
In 2009, HKRIA raised royalty charges imposed on TVB for music programming to over HK$10 million. In retaliation, TVB excluded artists from EMI Group, Sony Music, Universal Music, and Warner Music Group from participating in the 2009 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards Presentation.
Case & complaints
- TVB enforced informal restrictions on performers that effectively prevented ATV from recruiting them. As reported by Sing Tao Daily, no music label had previously presented contracts between TVB and artists as proof against the broadcaster. For instance, artists interviewed by rival outlets such as Cable TV Hong Kong were compelled to conduct interviews in Mandarin, placing competitors at a disadvantage in Hong Kong’s primarily Cantonese-speaking environment.
- A number of prominent productions by RTHK were aired exclusively on TVB.
- Numerous grievances arose concerning contracts that obligated artists to appear only on TVB, thereby prohibiting their participation on other channels.
Entertainer responses
Certain performers, including Mr, opted to conduct interviews in Cantonese due to limited proficiency in Mandarin. Kelly Chen called for music videos to be aired across all broadcasters to maximize exposure. Meanwhile, Jacky Cheung criticized TVB for cutting down music program airtime—from three minutes on Jade Solid Gold to a mere one minute—asserting that the station should support its signed talents instead of exercising excessive control or retaliating when demands are unmet. To avoid legal complications, some entertainers chose not to appear on competing networks.
Aftermath
At the beginning of 2010, the ICAC initiated an investigation into allegations of corruption involving Stephen Chan Chi Wan connected to this controversy.