Phoenix Hong Kong tiptoes into free TV market

Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television, which serves mainly mainland China, is bidding for a licence to compete in the Hong Kong free-to-air television market.In an announcement on Monday, Phoenix Television said its subsidiary Phoenix Hong Kong Television had submitted an application on 6 May to the Communications Authority for a domestic free television programme service licence in Hong Kong with digital terrestrial transmission.Spokesman for the broadcasting watchdog confirmed that the application had been received, while supplementary information and further clarification of some details in the application were also received during June to September. The authority is still processing the application.The city currently has three active free-to-air terrestrial television networks: Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), and HK Television Entertainment (HKTVE, channel known as ViuTV).This year in May, I-Cable affiliate Fantastic Television has also been given a licence to run its free-to-air network up to 2028.