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List of television stations in Hong Kong

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There are four active free-to-air television networks in Hong Kong.

Of the four networks, only TVB, HKTVE and FTV operate English language channels.

There are also a number of cable, premium, and subscription television services. Currently, there is not any free-to-air television licence applicant.

Since 2007, both free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong have been 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 broadcasts began on 31 December 2007. Analogue broadcasts were originally slated to end in 2012, but in 2011 was deferred to 2015,[1] and then in 2014 deferred again to 2020.[2]

Free-to-air television licencees

Former licence applicants

  • New Asia Network Limited (NAN; 新亞電視台), parent company Forever Top (Asia) Limited abandoned the application, following its acquisition of Cable TV Hong Kong and its subsidiary, Fantastic Television, which is a free television provider.[3]
  • Phoenix Hong Kong Television Limited (PHKTV, 鳳凰香港電視), parent company Phoenix Television announced its decision to rescind the application on 18 August 2017.[4]
  • Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV; 香港電視網絡) – 2nd time applicant. First application was rejected in 2013. Mobile television licence that restricts in-home viewing granted in 2017. Gave up the application in 2018.[5]

Licence expired

Free-to-air television channels

Channels currently on-air

Channels telecasted by licensees
Ch № (Digital) Name (English) Name (Chinese) Channel content Primary language Picture Format Transmission Launch Date (Analogue) Launch Date (Digital) Analogue Switchoff Date Licensee
31 RTHK TV 31 (Digital)
RTHK TV 31A (Analogue) 		港台電視31(Digital)
港台電視31A (Analogue) 		RTHK's main channel. Cantonese HDTV (Digital)
SDTV (Analogue) 		Terrestrial 2 April 2016[6] 13 January 2014
(trial transmission) 		1 December 2020 RTHK[7]
32 RTHK TV 32 港台電視32 A live feed of Legislative Council meetings every Wednesday and other important press conferences or events. HDTV [8] [8]
33 RTHK TV 33 (Digital)
RTHK TV 33A (Analogue) 		港台電視33 (Digital)
港台電視33A (Analogue) 		Simulcast of the Hong Kong version of CCTV-1 HD Putonghua HDTV (Digital)
SDTV (Analogue) 		2 April 2016[6] 1 December 2020
76 Hong Kong International Business Channel 香港國際財經台 Fantastic TV's business news channel English HDTV (Digital)
SDTV (Analogue) 		Hybrid fibre-coaxial and Cable [8] 30 July 2018[9] [8] FTV
77 Hong Kong Open TV 香港開電視 Fantastic TV's general entertainment channel. Cantonese HDTV (Digital)
SDTV (Analogue) 		14 May 2017 14 May 2017 [10]
81 TVB Jade 無線電視翡翠台 TVB's main general entertainment channel. Cantonese HDTV (Digital)
SDTV (Analogue) 		Terrestrial 19 November 1967 31 December 2007 1 December 2020 TVB
82 TVB J2 [11] A youth-oriented entertainment channel. HDTV [8] 28 January 2008 [8]
83 TVB News Channel 無線新聞台 A 24-hour news channel. 15 August 2017
84 TVB Pearl 無線電視明珠台 A general entertainment channel broadcasting mainly in English. English HDTV (Digital)
SDTV (Analogue) 		19 November 1967 31 December 2007 1 December 2020
85 TVB Finance & Information Channel[12] 無綫財經·資訊台 A 24-hour free high definition business news channel in Hong Kong. Cantonese HDTV [8] 15 August 2017[13] [8]
96 ViuTVsix [14] A general entertainment channel broadcasting in mainly in English. English Terrestrial and IPTV [8] 31 March 2017 [8] HKTVE
99 ViuTV [15] HKTVE's general entertainment channel. Cantonese 2 April 2016 (Programming Preview)
6 April 2016 (Actual Launch Date)


Defunct channels

Channel № (Digital) Channel № (Analogue) Name (English) Name (Chinese) Channel content Primary language Began operation (Digital) Began operation (Analogue) Ceased operation Means of Transmission Licence Note
[16] 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 [16] 7 September 1975 22 August 1978 Terrestrial, free-to-air Commercial Television
[17] Rediffusion Television (1957–1963)[18]
Rediffusion Television English Channel

(1963–1973)[18]

麗的電視
(1957–1963)[18]
麗的電視英文台 (1963–1973)[18] 		RTV's main channel.
Later became Rediffusion's English channel. 		Primary: English[18]
Secondary: Cantonese[18] 		[16] 29 May 1957[18] 1973 Subscription-based Cable Rediffusion Television Converted to a free-to-air television station.[18]
Rediffusion Television Chinese Channel 麗的電視中文台 RTV's main Chinese channel Cantonese 30 September 1963 31 October 1973 Became free-to-air channel RTV-1
11 23 RTV-1 (1973–1982)
ATV Chinese (1982–1987)
ATV Gold (1987–1989)
ATV Home (1989–2016) 		麗的第一台 (1973–1982)
亞洲電視中文台 (1982–1987)
亞洲電視黃金台 (1987–1989)
亞洲電視本港台 (1989–2016) 		RTV, and later ATV's main Chinese channel. 31 December 2007 1 December 1973 2 April 2016 Terrestrial, free-to-air RTV (later ATV) Station changed identity multiple times since 1973.
16 27 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 [8] ATV News & Business 亞洲電視新聞財經頻道 News channel. Cantonese [8] 1 April 2009 ATV
13 ATV His 亞洲電視動感資訊頻道 Male-oriented channel.
14 ATV Her 亞洲電視魅力資訊頻道 Female-oriented channel.
15 ATV 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 Chinese 1 April 2009 1 March 2011
14 CTi International 中天亞洲台 Simulcast of content by Chung T'ien Television. 1 April 2011
19 ATV HDTV 亞洲電視高清頻道 High definition general entertainment channel. Cantonese 31 December 2007 1 April 2009
19 ATV Asia 亞洲電視亞洲台 1 April 2009 2 May 2011
15 CCTV-1 中國中央電視台綜合頻道 Simulcast of content by China Central Television. Mandarin Chinese 1 March 2011 2 April 2016
13 ATV Classic 歲月留聲 Replay of past ATV classics. Cantonese 31 December 2012
13 TVS-2 南方電視台衛星頻道 Simulcast of content by Southern Media Corporation. Mandarin Chinese 1 October 2009 1 October 2012
85 TVB HD Jade 無線電視高清翡翠台 High definition general entertainment channel. Cantonese 31 December 2007 22 February 2016, 2:59 am TVB Cease simulcast transmission with TVB Jade & replace by J5.
85 TVB J5 [19] A high definition channel focusing on financial news and documentaries. 22 February 2016 15 August 2017, 6:00 am Stopped 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 channels and CCTV-1, a subsidiary of China Central Television (CCTV), viewers outside of certain confines [20] 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.

On-demand stations

References and notes

  1. ^ "Analogue television switch-off working target deferred to end 2015". Government of Hong Kong. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  2. ^ "Working target for analogue switch-off changed to 2020". Government of Hong Kong. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  3. ^ "CA Grants Formal Approval for Forever Top's Shareholding in i-CABLE". Communications Authority. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Communications Authority Press Release (July)". Communications Authority. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b RTHK took over Asia Television's two analog television channels, namely, the frequency that was formerly occupied by ATV Home and ATV World.
  7. ^ RTHK is the public broadcaster in Hong Kong which is not required to have a licence.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l This channel has never launched an analogue television service.
  9. ^ http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201605/31/P201605310562.htm
  10. ^ Only analogue terrestrial television has been planned for a switch-off.
  11. ^ J2 has no Chinese name. It is referred to as "J2", with the "2" pronounced "two", in both English and Chinese parlance.
  12. ^ accessdate=2017年7月13日
  13. ^ Took over the frequency formerly occupied by HD Jade.
  14. ^ ViuTVsix has no Chinese name.
  15. ^ ViuTV has no Chinese name. It is referred to as "ViuTV" in both English and Chinese parlance.
  16. ^ a b c This channel ceased broadcasting before the advent of digital television.
  17. ^ This channel was not broadcast on terrestrial television
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h 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.
  19. ^ J5 has no Chinese name. It is referred to as "J5", with the "5" pronounced "five", in both English and Chinese parlance.
  20. ^ 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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