TVB's creative chief reportedly clashes with senior execs

TVB's chief creative officer, Wong Cho-lam, is reportedly at odds with senior executives Catherine Tsang and Virginia Lok just a year after he took on the role. According to media reports including Ming Pao and HK01, Wong allegedly clashed with Tsang and Lok over Linda Chung losing out on the Best Actress award at the TVB Anniversary Awards last month.

Chung, who currently lives in Vancouver and returned to the showbiz scene with her TVB drama Kids' Lives Matter, received praise from viewers for her work and was reportedly the hot favourite to win Best Actress. She was also persuaded by Wong to fly over to Hong Kong for the awards ceremony. Tsang and Lok, however, did not agree with Chung and the film winning Best Actress and Best Drama respectively, media reports said. 

As a result of the internal disagreement with Tsang and Lok, Wong has reportedly turned his sights to mainland China, helping TVB artistes expand their careers in the market. According to HK01 and Ming Pao, Wong is acting as an agent and helping TVB artistes secure projects in mainland China. This has also reportedly caused a stir internally, as some feel that it would be impossible for Wong, who helms a senior role, to be away from the headquarters in Hong Kong for a long period of time, HK01 said.

Over the last year, Wong has been assisting Eric Tsang, GM (content operations), in developing content for entertainment and variety shows, including Have A Big Laugh, Dub of War, Top Sales, and Mama's Day. According to Ming Pao and HK01, these shows have reportedly been well-received by viewers. 

Tsang was promoted to his currently role last September, alongside the appointment of Siu Sai-wo as GM (business operations). Siu was previously Sing Tao News Corporation's executive director and CEO. The appointments were made as part of TVB's efforts to beef up its content offerings to engage the audiences.

Siu currently oversees marketing and sales operations across TVB’s various platforms with the objective of increasing cross-platform synergies and effectiveness, as well as directing all internal and external corporate communication activities and formulating TVB's overall brand strategy. Meanwhile, Tsang is responsible for TVB's key content operations, including the creation of various types of content, such as non-drama, co-produced drama and music, and the acquisition and curation of programmes.

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