List of television stations in Hong Kong

Last updated

There are four active free-to-air television networks and one remaining licensed pay television network in Hong Kong. There is also a number of online subscription television services.

Contents

Currently, there are no new applicants for free-to-air or pay-tv licences.

In 2007, free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong were allocated extra frequency bands and bandwidth to provide additional digital broadcasts over and above that needed to provide simultaneous digital and analogue broadcasting of the four original multi frequency free-to-air channels. Digital terrestrial broadcasts began on 31 December 2007. Analogue terrestrial television ended in 2020. [1]

Free-to-air television

In operation

Former licensees

Former licence applicants

Licensed pay television

In operation

Former licensees

Free-to-air television channels

Channels currently on-air

Channels telecasted by licensees
Ch №Name in EnglishName in ChineseDescriptionPrimary LanguagePicture FormatTransmissionLaunch DateLicensee
31 RTHK TV 31 港台電視31RTHK's main channel. Cantonese 1080i HDTV Terrestrial and hybrid fibre-coaxial 13 January 2014 RTHK [5]
32RTHK TV 32港台電視32A live feed of Legislative Council meetings every Wednesday and other important press conferences or events.
33 RTHK TV 33 港台電視33Simulcast of the Hong Kong version of CCTV-1 HD Putonghua
34RTHK TV 34港台電視34Simulcast of content by CGTN Documentary English1 July 2022
35RTHK TV 35港台電視35Simulcast of content by CGTN 1 July 2023
76HOY International Business ChannelHOY國際財經台HOY TV's business news channelEnglish1080i HDTVHybrid fibre-coaxial, cable and terrestrial30 July 2018 [6] FTV
77HOY TVHOY TVHOY TV's general entertainment channel.Cantonese14 May 2017
78HOY InfotainmentHOY 資訊台A 24-hour news, financial and infotainment channel.21 Nov 2022
81 TVB Jade 翡翠台TVB's main general entertainment channel.Cantonese1080i HDTVTerrestrial19 November 1967 TVB
82 TVB J2 [7] A youth-oriented entertainment channel.28 January 2008
83 TVB News Channel 無綫新聞台A 24-hour news channel.15 August 2017
84 TVB Pearl 明珠台A general entertainment channel broadcasting mainly in English.English19 November 1967
85 TVB Finance, Sports & Information Channel [8] 無綫財經 體育 資訊台A 24-hour free high definition business news channel in Hong Kong.Cantonese15 August 2017 [9]
96 ViuTVsix [10] A general entertainment channel broadcasting mainly in English.English1080i HDTV IPTV and terrestrial31 March 2017 HKTVE
99 ViuTV [11] HKTVE's general entertainment channel.Cantonese2 April 2016 (Preview)
6 April 2016 (Actual Launch)


Defunct channels

Channel № (Digital)Channel № (Analogue)Name (English)Name (Chinese)Channel contentPrimary languageBegan operation (Digital)Began operation (Analogue)Ceased operationMeans of TransmissionLicenceNote
[12] 29 Commercial Television 佳藝電視A general entertainment channel with prime time educational programming. It was the territory's 3rd free-to-air terrestrial television station. Cantonese [12] 7 September 197522 August 1978Terrestrial, free-to-airCommercial Television
[13] Rediffusion Television (1957–1963) [14]
Rediffusion Television English Channel

(1963–1973) [14]

麗的電視
(1957–1963) [14]
麗的電視英文台 (1963–1973) [14] 		RTV's main channel.
Later became Rediffusion's English channel.		Primary: English [14]
Secondary: Cantonese [14] 		[12] 29 May 1957 [14] 1973Subscription-based CableRediffusion TelevisionConverted to a free-to-air television station. [14]
Rediffusion Television Chinese Channel麗的電視中文台RTV's main Chinese channelCantonese30 September 196331 October 1973Became free-to-air channel RTV-1
1123 RTV-1 (1973–1982)
ATV Chinese (1982–1987)
ATV Gold (1987–1989)
ATV Home (1989–2016)
ATV A1 (2017-2022)		麗的第一台 (1973–1982)
亞洲電視中文台 (1982–1988)
亞洲電視黃金台 (1989-2016)
亞洲電視本港台 (2017-2022)
亞洲電視A1台		RTV, and later ATV's main Chinese channel.31 December 20071 December 19732 April 2016Terrestrial, free-to-airRTV (later ATV)Station changed identity multiple times since 1973.
1627 RTV-2 (1973–1982)
ATV English (1982–1987)
ATV Diamond (1987–1989)
ATV World (1989–2016)		麗的第二台 (1973–1982)
亞洲電視英文台 (1982–1987)
亞洲電視鑽石台 (1987–1989)
亞洲電視國際台 (1989–2016)		RTV, and later ATV's main English channel.English
12 [15] ATV News & Business亞洲電視新聞財經頻道News channel.Cantonese [15] 1 April 2009ATV
13ATV His亞洲電視動感資訊頻道Male-oriented channel.
14ATV Her亞洲電視魅力資訊頻道Female-oriented channel.
15ATV Plus亞洲電視文化資訊頻道Documentary channel.
15 CCTV-4 中國中央電視台中文國際頻道Simulcast of content by CCTV-4.Mandarin Chinese1 April 20091 March 2011
14 CTi International 中天亞洲台Simulcast of content by Chung T'ien Television.1 April 2011
19ATV HDTV亞洲電視高清頻道High definition general entertainment channel.Cantonese31 December 20071 April 2009
19ATV Asia亞洲電視亞洲台1 April 20092 May 2011
15 CCTV-1 中國中央電視台綜合頻道Simulcast of content by China Central Television.Mandarin Chinese1 March 20112 April 2016
13ATV Classic歲月留聲Replay of past ATV classics.Cantonese31 December 2012
13 TVS-2 南方電視台衛星頻道Simulcast of content by Southern Media Corporation.Mandarin Chinese1 October 20091 October 2012
85TVB HD Jade無線電視高清翡翠台High definition general entertainment channel.Cantonese31 December 200722 February 2016, 2:59 amTVBCease simulcast transmission with TVB Jade & replace by J5.
85TVB J5 [16] A high definition channel focusing on financial news and documentaries.22 February 201615 August 2017, 6:00 amStopped showing variety shows and drama since 8 May 2017 and replace by TVB Finance Channel.

Additional channels

Operative services

Hong Kong uses the same Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcast (DMB-T/H) standard as Macau and Guangdong and, because of signal overspill, viewers in Hong Kong can receive and watch all free to air channels from these areas without much difficulty.

However, because of licensing and intellectual property reasons, except for the four local free-to-air networks and CCTV-1, a subsidiary of China Central Television (CCTV), viewers outside of certain confines [17] are not legally allowed to watch these channels.

Residential subscribers to cable premium and subscription services are free to use these services within certain confines, usually within their own homes, and under the terms and conditions of their service provider. Other contracts deal with the provision of services to non-domestic properties, e.g. premium sport content to bars.

References and notes

  1. ↑ "Working target for analogue switch-off changed to 2020". Government of Hong Kong. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "CA Grants Formal Approval for Forever Top's Shareholding in i-CABLE". Communications Authority . 12 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. ↑ 有關撤回香港本地免費電視服務牌照申請 (In regards to the rescinding of the application for a local free-to-air television license in Hong Kong) (PDF) (in Chinese). 18 August 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  4. ↑ "Communications Authority Press Release (July)". Communications Authority. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  5. ↑ RTHK is the public broadcaster in Hong Kong which is not required to have a licence.
  6. ↑ "Free TV licence for Fantastic TV granted".
  7. ↑ J2 has no Chinese name. It is referred to as "J2", with the "2" pronounced "two", in both English and Chinese parlance.
  8. ↑ accessdate=2017年7月13日
  9. ↑ Took over the frequency formerly occupied by HD Jade.
  10. ↑ ViuTVsix has no Chinese name.
  11. ↑ ViuTV has no Chinese name. It is referred to as "ViuTV" in both English and Chinese parlance.
  12. 1 2 3 This channel ceased broadcasting before the advent of digital television.
  13. ↑ This channel was not broadcast on terrestrial television
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 由麗的到亞視 一個電視台的終結 (From Rediffusion To ATV The End of a Television Station). Standnews. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  15. 1 2 This channel has never launched an analogue television service.
  16. ↑ J5 has no Chinese name. It is referred to as "J5", with the "5" pronounced "five", in both English and Chinese parlance.
  17. ↑ government offices and statutory bodies; consulates-general and officially recognised bodies; guest houses and hotels ranked with four stars or above that receive foreign guests; apartment buildings exclusively for office and residential use by persons from abroad; clubs exclusively serving persons from abroad; residential use by the family which included the person(s) directly employed by or retired from the following stipulated confines, such as: departments and related organisations of the government of the HKSAR, office and branches of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, consulates-general and officially recognised bodies, MTR Corporation.

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