Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, was the first wireless commercial television station in Hong Kong and commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967. The company was registered on 26 July 1965 and was co-founded by Sir Run Run Shaw, who was chairman from 1980 to 2011, together with Sir Douglas Clague and Harold Lee Hsiao-wo of the Lee Hysan family. It has a staff of about 4,200 and TVB's headquarters (Hong Kong TVB City) is Asia's largest commercial television production centre. TVB currently runs five free-to-air television channels in Hong Kong and is one of the largest commercial Chinese programme producers in the world.
When TVB first began broadcasting it was commonly known as "Wireless Television" (???? Cantonese: mou4 sin3 din6 si6) in Chinese to distinguish it from the then cable television broadcaster, Rediffusion Television (????), which later became ATV. It is still usually referred to with that name, although ATV later switched to "wireless" broadcasting as well and now there are other "wireless" broadcasters in Hong Kong.
TVB currently operates five free channels in Hong Kong: TVB Jade (Cantonese) and TVB Pearl (English) are TVB's flagship television channels, and both are available on analogue and digital. J2, TVB News Channel and TVB Finance & Information Channel are digital-only channels.
TVB also operates myTV SUPER and TVB Anywhere as its pay-tv service, and has a package of channels known as TVB Network Vision, which are carried by PCCW's NowTV service.
TVB reaches out to the Overseas Chinese communities. Its productions are available in Mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, among others, on channels such as TVB's own TVB-Europe [1] 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.
Video TVB
Development
- TVB dominates most of the television market in Hong Kong, but it is not considered the powerhouse it used to be. It started in 1965 as a competitor to what was then called Rediffusion Television, later become ATV, a cable operator that charged subscription fees for its operation, and the only terrestrial competitor to TVB. One of the first shows launched was Enjoy Yourself Tonight ???? in 1967.
- 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, 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.
- 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.
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Location
TVB was originally located on Broadcast Drive in Kowloon Tong, and was neighbours with RTHK 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 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.
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.
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. (Chinese: TVB???; Cantonese Yale: TVB san man toi) and TVBN2 (Chinese: TVB??2?; Cantonese Yale: TVB san man ji toi), through TVB Network Vision (Chinese: ??????; Cantonese Yale: mou sin sau fai din si).
Notable shows from TVB
- Enjoy Yourself Tonight or EYT (1967-1994), a long-running variety show which has been compared with the American Saturday Night Live.
- The Bund (1980), starring Chow Yun-fat. The drama was a success throughout Asia, inspiring several television and film adaptations.
- The Legend of the Condor Heroes (1983), a serial adaptation of Louis Cha's wuxia novel of the same name, starring Felix Wong and Barbara Yung.
- The Return of the Condor Heroes (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 and Idy Chan.
- Looking Back in Anger (1989), is a tragic serial drama starring Felix Wong, Deric Wan, and Carina Lau. It is the most-watched Hong Kong drama in the Greater China region.
- The Greed of Man (1992), starring Adam Cheng and Sean Lau. Its original broadcast heavily impacted international stockbrokers, creating the phenomenon known as the Ting Hai effect.
- The File of Justice series (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 (1995-present), a popular variety game show.
- Journey to the West (1996) was one of the few TVB Jade programmes to be dubbed in English and rebroadcast on TVB Pearl.
- Old Time Buddy (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.
- Secret of the Heart (1998), a soap opera that popularised relationship triangles in serial dramas.
- The Armed Reaction series (1998-2004) was a popular crime drama series dealing with discrimination women face within the police force. The series spanned four seasons.
- 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 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 (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 (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 (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 (2004), a costume drama serial that focuses on four concubines of the Jiaqing Emperor. 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's character, Laughing Gor, inspired one film spin-off and one sequel television series.
- Rosy Business (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.
- Line Walker (2014), a crime drama that spawned one film sequel and a television series prequel. It is the most-viewed Hong Kong drama in Mainland China, with over 2 billion views on Youku.
- 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.
- '' Legal Mavericks (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.
Channel list
Hong Kong Free-to-air
- TVB Jade (Channel 81)
- TVB J2 (Channel 82)
- TVB News Channel (Channel 83)
- TVB Pearl (Channel 84)
- TVB Finance & Information Channel (Channel 85)
MyTV SUPER
TVB Network Vision ceased its service since 1 June 2017, 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".
- TVB Classic (Channel 86)
- Korean Drama (Channel 87)
- Japanese Drama (Channel 88)
- Chinese Drama (Channel 89)
- Asian Select (Channel 90)
- Entertainment News (Channel 91)
- Asian Variety (Channel 92)
- Food (Channel 93)
- Sports (Channel 94)
- Jade Catch Up (Channel 95)
- Travel (Channel 96)
- TVB Radio (Channel 97)
- Chinese Opera Channel (Channel 98)
- Classic Movies (Channel 200)
- TVBN 2 (Channel 700)
International
- TVB Anywhere
- TVB8 - broadcast in Mandarin
- TVB Xing He
- TVBJ (Singapore & Indonesia version of TVB Jade)
- TVB Jade (International version)
- TVB Korea Channel
- Hub VV Drama (Singapore only, Selected TVB Drama in Mandarin dubbed)
- Hub Drama First (Singapore only)
- Hub Cantonese on Demand (Singapore only)
- TVB-Europe
- TVB Entertainment News (International version)
- Asian Action Channel
- TVB Vietnam (Vietnam only, own by SCTV9)
- Fairchild TV (20% ownership; co-owned with Fairchild Group)
- Jadeworld
- TVB News Channel (International version)
Malaysia
Co-owned by Astro:
- 305 TVB Classic
- 310 Astro Wah Lai Toi HD
- 311 Astro Wah Lai Toi
- 313 TVB Entertainment News
- 314 TVB Xing He
- 317 TVBS-Asia
- 326 TVB Jade HD (Malaysia version)
- 327 Asian Action Channel
- 328 TVB Classic Movies
- 350 Astro on Demand HD
- 351/353 Astro on Demand (8.30 pm drama)
- 361/363 Astro on Demand (9.30 pm drama)
Co-owned by unifi tv:
- 208 TVB8
See also
- List of Chinese companies
- List of Hong Kong companies
- TVB News
- HKTV
References
External links
- TVB official website (in Chinese)
- TVB Vietnam official website (in Vietnamese)
- "List of Directors and their Roles and Functions announced on 20 May 2015" (PDF). TVB. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
Source of article : Wikipedia
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