Commercial Radio Hong Kong
Commercial Radio Hong Kong, also known as Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company Limited, is one of the two commercial radio broadcasting companies in Hong Kong, alongside Metro Radio Hong Kong. CRHK offers a variety of radio programs, including news and weather reports, music, and cultural arts.
History
CRHK was founded by George Ho Cho-chi on 26 August 1959, after he inherited HK$50,000 from his father, Sir Robert Ho Tung. The 10-year franchise of Radio Rediffusion ended its radio operations in 1959. CRHK then joined Radio Rediffusion and Radio Television Hong Kong.Initially, Commercial Radio was located in Lai Chi Kok, near Mei Foo Sun Chuen. Nine years later, on 25 July 1966, the station relocated to Broadcast Drive. However, at that time, the new five-story building was still under refurbishment, so the station was temporarily housed in Yau Yat Chuen until 26 August 1971. G.J. Ho, the son of George Ho, is the current chairman of CRHK.
Channels
Currently, CRHK broadcasts through two Cantonese channels on the FM band and an English channel on the AM band. All of the channels are 24-hour broadcasts, each with its own distinct program formats and audience.FM 88.1
CR1 FM 88.1 has the widest audience base in Hong Kong. It is a talk-based channel that broadcasts current affairs, traffic and financial information, as well as audience talk shows.FM 90.3
CR2 FM 90.3 is a music-based channel focused on pop music.The programs feature the latest news in pop music, including Cantonese, Japanese, and English songs. This channel also organizes one of the four annual music awards in Hong Kong.
AM 864
AM 864 is an English-language channel that offers a diverse selection of music, ranging from the latest international hits to hip-hop, R&B, jazz, rock and roll, and grunge. It is designed to cater to audiences from around the world.Listeners can stay updated with the latest news, especially on global issues, through AM 864. News is broadcast every hour throughout the day, along with weather forecasts and traffic reports. In addition, the channel regularly produces news reports and public affairs programs.
From 2000 to 2003, AM 864 partnered with HMV and was known as HMV 864. Among other names, "Quote 864" was also used as an on-air name.
In 2004, the station became automated and jockless, meaning it no longer had presenters. The format is adult hits, featuring popular music from the 1960s to the 2010s, catering to music lovers from every generation.
Notable programmes
FM 88.1
Among all the programs on 88.1, three actively discuss contemporary political, social, and economic issues in Hong Kong every day."On a Clear Day" airs on weekdays, from Monday to Friday, from 6:00 am to 10:00 am. This four-hour program is hosted by Stephen Chan, Chan Chung, and Ken Kwok. During the program, the hosts invite some members of the audience, as well as occasional guests, to join in the discussion of current issues. The program features a segment called "Voice Column," where some Commercial Radio DJs participate as columnists, sharing their own viewpoints on various topics. One example is the column "陶言無忌" by To Kit, who worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation for 8 years.
"Circles" airs Monday to Friday, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It focuses on interviews with celebrities and special guests.
"Summit" airs Monday to Friday, from 11:00 pm to 12:00 am. It is hosted by Chip Tsao, among others. The program is a talk show focusing on current affairs in Hong Kong, international relations, and culture-related topics.
FM 90.3
Among all the programs on 90.3, two actively discuss contemporary political, social, and economic issues in Hong Kong every day."On a Clear Day" airs on weekdays, from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. It is hosted by Jan Lamb, Ken Yuen, and Michelle Lo. The hosts invite some members of the audience, as well as occasional guests, to join in the discussion of current issues in a more comedic way. The program features a segment called "Voice Column," in which some Commercial Radio DJs participate as columnists, sharing their own viewpoints on various topics. One example is the column "陶言無忌" by To Kit, who worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation for eight years.
"Good Morning King" airs on weekdays, from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. It is hosted by Sammy Leung, Kitty Yuen, and Marco Hung. Marco Hung is no longer part of the program as of 3 March 2023.
AM 864
Two foreign-language radio programs—"Hong Kong-Pak This Evening" in Urdu and "Nepal Darshan" in Nepali—were launched jointly by Commercial Radio and the Home Affairs Bureau on 18 June 2005 to promote multiculturalism in Hong Kong. The programs aimed to strengthen the sense of belonging among ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, while also helping them retain their cultural identities and differences.The programs were broadcast for 26 consecutive Saturdays on Commercial Radio Channel 1 until 10 December 2005. "Hong Kong-Pak This Evening" and "Nepal Darshan" aired from 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm and from 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm, respectively. The Urdu program was hosted by Abid Ali Baig, a poet and writer with 30 years of experience in the broadcasting industry in Pakistan, while the Nepali program was hosted by Pushpa Kumar Rai, who had worked for nearly 20 years in the former British Forces Broadcasting Service and is well known among the Nepalese community in Hong Kong. The programs featured music, news, sports, current affairs, and community services relevant to their respective ethnic groups. Local celebrities from these groups were also invited to discuss their cultures and their integration into the community.
Another program on AM864, Good Evening Kabayan, is for the Filipino community in Hong Kong. Its initial broadcast aired on 9 July 2001. It started as a two-hour show and, two years later, began airing twice a week on the channel.
In late 2017, the two programs were renamed to classify them into two different formats. Every Friday, from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm, Pinoy Hit Music Central airs, and every Saturday, at the same time slot, Pilipinas Week in Review is broadcast. Hit Music Central plays the latest Original Pinoy Music, featuring interviews with celebrities from the Philippines and airing the most requested OPMs. PWIR provides Pinoy listeners in Hong Kong and around the world with the latest news and current affairs from both Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Controversy and criticism
In mid-2004, three of the program hosts were well known for their outspoken hosting styles on social and political matters. Suddenly, all three announced they would stop. Albert Cheng Jing Han announced a hiatus from hosting his program in April 2004, citing pressure from the Chinese government, and later resigned by the end of July. Another political program host, Raymond Wong Yuk-man, announced his decision to quit his program on 13 May, claiming there was a threat to his family's safety. However, he decided to return to CRHK to host a brand new program for the station in October 2004. Allen Lee Peng-Fei replaced Cheng Jing Han, who announced his resignation on 19 May for political reasons. Freedom of speech has been a concern in Hong Kong since the 1997 Handover.In May 2010, the memory of CR host Lam Bun was evoked after CR allowed the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong to sponsor a political radio program. Activists protested outside the station, holding images of Lam, who was assassinated during the 1967 riots and became an icon of free speech. They complained that the station had desecrated his memory. The DAB stated that the programs focused on livelihood issues and denied that they promoted a political stance.
In late 2013, as a prelude to the renewal of its broadcasting license, CR replaced the outspoken critic of CY Leung, who had hosted an influential prime-time morning talk show. Lee Wai-ling, long despised by the pro-establishment camp for her vocal criticism of the government, was abruptly moved to a less prominent evening show and replaced by station chief executive Stephen Chan Chi-wan. Chan denied that political motivations were involved, but one former media executive stated that it was "an open secret" that some outspoken program hosts disliked by the government had to leave during the license renewal process, as media operators were under considerable political pressure.