Hong Kong radio

Radio Hong Kong (b1948) became Radio & Television Hong Kong in 1976. Since the colony's handover in 1997, perhaps the biggest radio intervention was a decision to abandon DAB transmissions in 2017, with existing services pulled back to old-fashioned AM and FM transmitters.  

At that stage, BBC World Service was relayed 24 hours a day on "Radio 6".  With the retreat to analogue, World Service was moved to eight hours a day, 2300-0700 relayed on the FM frequency of "Radio 4"; Radio 6, an AM frequency, was handed to China's National Radio service.  The BBC bought space for World Service carriage on Telstar 18 DTH, and reminded listeners that it was available 24 hours a day online at bbcworldservice.com, and via the BBC iPlayer radio app. 

The ban on World Service in Hong Kong came into effect at 11pm local last night - it may take a while for the BBC to work out what is still available, and where.  

Just over a week ago, Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam put further pressure on RTHK, saying improvement was 'badly needed', noting she was ‘still waiting’ to hear from its chief editor over a variety of complaints. Current RTHK boss Leung Ka-Wing was appointed in 2015, and given a new three-year contract in 2018.