Remember textiles-fortune scion and lawmaker Michael Tien sweeping the streets and sleeping in a tiny ‘cage home’ around 15 years ago? It was part of an RTHK TV series called Rich Mate Poor Mate, in which rich people experienced poverty in Hong Kong. Some of it was uploaded to YouTube back in the day. This playlist contains several 11-minute segments (with low visual quality). Worth checking them out in order: first, second, and third, in which snooker star Eric Lee sleeps on the streets and eventually gets work delivering food.
Try to ignore the female narrator’s wildly inappropriate cheerful tone.
RTHK has since transformed from a public-service to a government broadcaster (and has wiped many of its archives). It’s hard to imagine this sort of content today.
“ It’s hard to imagine this sort of content today.”
SCMP has taken over such content.
https://www.scmp.com/video/hong-kong/3349661/heat-fatigue-and-pressure-post-reporter-sees-what-it-takes-work-food-deliverer-hong-kong?share=hTlnTlMibH44DBVrMRPXgvT6iG0cqKakTdvaexyS6pBc7Lhri%2BD6Vyl7vLXqs0VAt5gtZqjvReNOnXnynTAGG2UVmqiCPLxI5ncsQCS%2BCFjP0w2A0kgmqnff5wxhUfMqzyTZCLxEZlctZWUb8hPWOA%3D%3D&utm_campaign=social_share
TVB has dumped Pearl Magazine, a shadow of the previous Pearl Report that turned the spotlight onto some of the No So Good Local Stories. Melissa is now covering “good stories’ on RTHK.
So despite the clause in their franchise mandating a minimum amount of current affairs the three English language channels no longer cover the many deficiencies in community services and the failure to enforce regulations.
Hopefully some techie can come up with a dubbed/sub titled version of Hoy’s “City Focus” with its down to earth reporters out on the streets asking what one hopes are probing questions of district councillors to explain why they never resolve the issues.
City Focus isbroadcast at 8pm on 77 and 8.30pm on 78 for anyone interested inchecking it out.
Re: Rich Mate, Poor Mate
I watched Episode 1.
The production quality, storytelling and narration are uniformly appalling.
I haven’t the stomach for much more.
“Hopefully some techie can come up with a dubbed/sub titled version of Hoy’s “City Focus” ”
Is there any archive online available? Torrents ok too
I can try my hand on it as I recently built an auto subtitling agent and this would be something interesting to test it on.
It’s sad that while Singapore can produce a decent-quality 24-hour English-language news channel (CNA), Hong Kong can’t even put together a 20-minute news bulletin. Now that Melissa whats-her-name has gone, there’s almost nobody left with even a listenable voice. It’s like the weather girls have taken over. TVB should just use AI and be done with it.
Re; HOY TV CITY FOCUS
Ican find links to individual programmes eg
https://www.facebook.com/hkhoy/videos/%E4%B8%80%E7%B7%9A%E6%90%9C%E6%9F%A5%E7%95%80bb%E9%A3%9F%E5%98%85%E7%9B%8A%E7%94%9F%E8%8F%8C%E9%99%B7%E9%98%B1%E5%A4%9A%E5%A4%9A-%E5%B0%88%E5%AE%B6%E6%95%99%E4%BD%A0%E6%8F%80hoy-tv/1115222599600867/?locale=hi_IN
https://www.facebook.com/chineseymcahk/videos/hoy-tv%E4%B8%80%E7%B7%9A%E6%90%9C%E6%9F%A5%E5%A0%B1%E9%81%93%E5%A4%9C%E5%B1%95%E5%90%8C%E8%A1%8C-%E9%BB%91%E6%9A%97%E4%B8%AD%E9%99%AA%E4%BC%B4%E5%B9%B4%E8%BC%95%E5%BF%83%E9%9D%88/1257745205613905/
The focus is mostly on the day to day stuff like water seepage, illegal parking, etc. In other words the sissues of far more interest to Joe Public than NS ducation Day.
They interview DC members frequently but I cannot keep up with the discussion, just get the gist of the focus.
I have been in contact with OFCA but they give me no reasonable explanation as to why series like this cannot be dubbed / subtitled and broadcast on the English channel languages.
Recent discussion in Leggers as not on how to improve the English language transmissions but to reduce both the hours and requirements to relieve financial pressure on the stations. This ignores the fact that far too much airtime on these channels is devoted to sports programmes that overrun, endless repeats, and preempting schedules to replace them with blanket coverage of patriotice concerts and other events. The English language channels are dumping grounds.
But tycoons do not run TV stations for the benefit of the community but rather to manipulate the agenda and promote their own brands so my position is if they apply for the franchise then they should deliver.
Moreover with the billions being poured into the IT dream how can making programmes available in any language be an issue??????
Does 10 days for sexually assaulting 2 women on the MTR, but 1 year for a dozen or so posts on the internet regarding hopes for the future of the CCP seem reasonable?
@Mary Melville – “how can making programmes available in any language be an issue?” Even the movies shown on local TV, most of which are the same shows repeated ad nauseam, often lack English subtitles even when the same movie can be found on DVD with multiple language options. Furthermore, surely TVB are not so poor that they cannot afford more than the 30 or 40 English-language movies they show over and over on Pearl?
As for current affairs, Michael Chugani was never the most aggressive of interviewers, but at least “Straight Talk” under his stewardship presented a variety of viewpoints. Under his successor, it has degenerated into an unwatchable propaganda platform for the establishment.