RTHK Hopes For Negotiations Over Eviction Notice

Radio Television Hong Kong has begun scrambling to find new office space for dozens of staff after the government told the broadcaster to vacate one of its buildings in Kowloon Tong within the next few months.

The station currently operates out of three cramped and dilapidated buildings on Broadcast Drive, as well as smaller offices elsewhere in the city.

But on Tuesday, the Education Bureau notified the public broadcaster that it has until September to hand over the keys to Educational Television Centre, being as RTHK stopped making ETV programmes at the end of March.

Amen Ng, the station's spokeswoman, said around 90 members of staff will have to be relocated, and a new home will have to be found for a lot of broadcasting equipment.

She said the September deadline to leave is a lot sooner than was envisaged, and RTHK would seek to negotiate a staged withdrawal instead.

"I don't think 'shocked' is the right word, but it is really short notice," Ng told reporters.

She said the station doesn't currently have enough space to relocate the staff and equipment and she hoped it could keep the ETV site until early next year.

Ng would not be drawn on whether she thinks there is a political element to the decision to evict RTHK from the building, following a string of criticism in recent weeks from the government and police over the station's coverage of the city's ongoing unrest.

DAB lawmaker Elizabeth Quat said it was reasonable for the government to take back the ETV building, since it had cut all funding for ETV production in the latest budget.

Quat said RTHK should have expected that staff would have to move out of the building sooner or later.

"Within these few months, I think RTHK should review all its equipment and the transition process and come up with a list ... and the government should consider giving RTHK extra budget to relocate the equipment if needed," she said.

The Education Bureau, meanwhile, said since there's no longer a need for RTHK to provide educational TV services, it is only reasonable and in line with public interest for the station to return the site.

The bureau added that it needs more office space to cater for its own development.

But Civic Party leader Alvin Yeung accused the government of suppressing RTHK by cutting its resources and funding.

He said the government should find new office space for production teams and other staff, instead of just forcing them to move out.

"Every single piece of space is important to RTHK. And if this government is serious about supporting public broadcasting, and if this government is serious about supporting RTHK, then they would not be doing what they are doing," Yeung said.

In 2014, the government dropped its plan for a new headquarters for RTHK after pro-establishment lawmakers signalled they would not agree to the expected HK$5.3 billion price tag.