[2014.01.08] UNPRECEDENTED TVB KINGDOM ENDS WITH SALE

In 2011, the 104 year old Sir Run Run Shaw (sitting, center) host the 44th TVB anniversary lighting ceremony

At the 44th TVB anniversary in November 2011, the station has already changed hands.  New majority shareholder Chan Kwok Keung held Mona Fong's hand as they headed for the lighting ceremony

Sir Run Run Shaw watched the Taiwan series JUSTICE BAO, thought it was good and imported it

ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT's Four Golden Flowers: Lydia Shum (front), Liza Wang, Teresa Cheung, Wong Oi Ming

TVB General Manager Stephen Chan's BE MY GUEST program on exTV with then Chief Executive Donald Tsang

courtesy of mingpao.com

From Hui Man Keung and Fung Ching Ching's memorable romance in THE BUND, Ah Chan wolfing down 30 hamburgers at one sitting in THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY, to Stephen Chow Sing Chi's line FINAL COMBAT "drink a cup of tea, eat a bun" that started the 1990 Mo Le Tau culture, Hong Kong people grew up with TVB. Reigning over Broadcast Drive on "Five Station Hill", the one station monopoly was made. However Sir Run Run Shaw (Siu Yat Fu)'s children and grandchildren had no intention to take over the TVB kingdom, in his old age after handing the reins over to his wife Mona Fong Yat Wa it was prepared to be sold. Finally the television kingdom that was worth over HK$20 billion landed in the hands of "Shell King" Chan Kwok Keung, a dynasty change officially took place.

In the hearts of many Hong Kong people, TVB was Uncle Six, and Uncle Six was TVB. However when TVB was founded in 1967, the first Board Chairman was actually Lee Hau Wo. Siu Yat Fu was only one of its founders. In 1980 when Lee Hau Wo passed away, Siu Yat Fu took over as the chairman. From the end of 1970 to the early 1980s, television gradually became popular. Siu Yat Fu sensed that the age of film has already passed, as Shaw faced competition from Golden Harvest, Cinema City and others. He decided to fully switch to television.

Under Siu Yat Fu's leadership, TVB in 1970s on the Broadcast Drive "Five Station Hill", where three television stations TVB, RTV and CTV and two radio stations Radio Hong Kong and Commercial Radio resided, successfully dominated the television world. With many memorable television series and variety programs, TVB gradually had a monopoly. CTV closed in 1978, TVB ratings has always led RTV, only in 1980 when Siu Yat Fu took over as the TVB Chairman, RTV's FATHERLAND (DAI DEI YUN CHING) was extremely popular and was about to catch up to TVB. TVB was forced to cut short the FIVE EASY PIECES (LUN LAI JUEN) as it became the first series that TVB cut.

For years, TVB's main revenue source was from the domestic free television business, but actually as early as the end of the 1970s TVB has already expanded its business overseas. In 1976 it formed TVBI, expanded overseas programming distribution and video rental services. Its business network reached over 30 countries. In 2004, TVB finally received the Mainland government approval to "land", its two channels TVB Jade and TVB Pearl were able to legally broadcast on cable television in 9 Guangdong cities. TVB was able to split commercial revenues with the Mainland.

In the past Siu Yat Fu mainly through the Shaw Brothers (0080) and the Shaw fund controlled 32% of TVB to become the major TVB shareholder. However TVB shares had changes, more obvious was in 1988 when wealthy businessman Kwok Hok Nin (Now South China Morning Post major shareholder) once through the Kerry Properties bought 30% of TVB with 2.2 billion from Bendah International. In 1996 Kwok Hok Nin attempted a hostile takeover of TVB, later because Siu Yat Fu took the "greater good" strategy and sold TVB Enterprise (including Capital Artist Entertainment, Audio Visual Corporation, Hong Kong Television magazine) shares for 400 million to maintain control of TVB.

Because Siu Yat Fu's children and grandchildren had no intention to take over the TVB kingdom, starting from 2006 TVB was already rumored to change hands. Finally on January 26 2011, Shaw Brothers confirmed the sale of around 26% TVB shares to "Shell King" Chan Kwok Keung and the wealthiest woman in Taiwan Cher Wang's group for around 6.2 billion. In March 2012 the sale was completed. Siu Yat Fu's wife Fong Yat Wa also announced in the same month her resignation from the TVB Board of Directors. Chan Kwok Kung took over TVB and the dynasty change was official.

"Enjoy yourself tonight......see you, to each viewers good......night!" Over the 40 years that Siu Yat Fu operated TVB, not only has it produced the most classic variety program in history, ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT, but it also made countless series, created countless well known characters, cultivated Chow Yun Fat, Liza Wang Ming Chuen, Adam Cheng Siu Chau, Lydia Shum Din Ha and other top artists and made everyone grew up on "dinner with TV" in the 1980s Hong Kong. Uncle Six in 1990 also had a sharp eye. After watching Taiwan's JUSTICE BAO he felt it was entertaining and immediately imported it for TVB broadcast, thus starting a JUSTICE BAO fever.

Siu Yat Fu operated TVB for over 40 years, he kept working until 2010 when he retired at the age of 103. His energy was awesome. During Uncle Six's reign, he attended without fail the TVB meeting every Tuesday. Every year during the Lunar New Year, Miss Hong Kong and TVB anniversary programs, he appeared to hold down the fort as well.

In the 1980s Hong Kong, the best entertainment for many after work was going home and watching ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT. "Work all day, now it's to relax; after dinner, have to rest for a little while......" ENJOY YOURSELF TONIGHT was also under the leadership of Siu Yat Fu one of the most classic TVB programs, from the second day of the station launch it kept running for 27 years before it truly said good night to Hong Kong. It was the first generation domestic long running variety program, cultivated many top artists like Chow Yun Fat, Wang Ming Chuen, Cheng Siu Chau, Shum Din Ha and others.

TVB series also led social trends, like after the fashionable Lok Lam (Wang Ming Chuen) appeared in A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME (GA BIN), all the women from factories to offices changed their hairstyle to the "Lok Lam"; the name "Ah Chan" (Liu Wai Hung) from THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY became how Hong Kong addressed new immigrants from the Mainland; everyone quoted Stephen Chow Sing Chi's FINAL COMBAT (KOI SAI HO HUP) line "drink a cup of tea, eat a bun" for awhile. In the hearts of many Hong Kong people, Hui Man Keung was Chow Yun Fat, Yeung Gor was Andy Lau Tak Wa, Wai Siu Bo was Tony Leung Chiu Wai. One after another familiar series theme songs from YESTERDAY'S GLITTER (GAING WA CHUN MUNG), BROTHERS (CHUN CHING), THE BUND (SEUNG HOI TAN) never faded and continued to echo throughout history.

Under the leadership of Siu Yat Fu, TVB for 44 years ago has remained alone on the top. Only Siu Yat Fu ran into a setback in his old age. The most challenging was TVB pay television that has always lost money; in addition on the eve of Uncle Six's retirement in 2009, the Hong Kong government accepted application for additional free television licenses. TVB development again had added variations.

TVB pay television was formerly "exTV". In 2000 the government issued 5 pay television licenses. exTV obtained one of them but faced the Broadcasting regulation and many operation restrictions ("firewall"). A television station could not operate both free and pay television, like TVB could not have more than 49% control of exTV, TVB programs within a year of free channel broadcast could not be shown on exTV and others.

exTV officially launched on February 18 2014, that year it once lost 166 million. In 2006 it changed its name to TVB pay television, as its ace programs included many TVB classic series. More familiar among the new programs was the then TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi Wan personally host BE MY GUEST. However its performance remained less than ideal. At its worst it once lost 187 million and accumulated around 353 million in losses.

Siu Yat Fu was the sixth of eight children in his family, which was why people called him Uncle Six. Siu Yat Fu's Rolls Royce license plate was also "6". When Siu stepped into his film and television kingdom everyday, his subordinates often loved to call him "Boss Six"; once a new hire came into the studio and thought that Siu Yat Fu's last name was "Luk", then loudly addressed him "Mr. Luk".

Siu Yat Fu's original name was Siu Yan Ling. He thought that the average person would not know how to say "Ling" and thus came up with his nickname "Yat Fu". "On On Yat Yat (Comfortable) is a good thing." His English name was based on his original name Yat Ling's transliteration "Run Run". His full name was "Run Run Shaw".

The name Run Run often reminded people of "keeping on running". Thus Siu Yat Fu was rumored to be an office assistant in his youth. His superior would always scream "Run Run" in front of him. In another rumor he once carried reels of films and rode motorcycles to deliver film to different cinemas. From morning to night he "Run Run". However Siu Yat Fu once told James Wong Jim that both rumors were fictional. Run Run was only transliteration and had no other meaning.