ATV has finally pulled the plug on its broadcasting services. ATV’s eight channels, including its two analog channels, officially went off air once the clock hit midnight, April 2. In the minutes leading up to midnight, ATV was broadcasting a rerun of a 2013 travelogue program hosted by former Miss Asia winners. As the clock struck the last minute of April 1, the program was cut off. After about five seconds of blue screen, the signal went static. RTHK took over ATV’s analogue channels at approximately 12 am, April 2. Launched in May 1957 ATV, then known as RTV, was Hong Kong’s—and the world’s—first Cantonese television station. It became a free-to-air broadcaster in 1973 and was renamed to ATV in 1982. For two decades, ATV went to produce some of the world’s most popular and classic entertainment programs, but the constant change in ownership in the 1990s and 2000s led to its eventual downfall. On April 1, the last day of ATV’s broadcasting service, everything went on as normal. Employees were urged to treat the day as a normal work day. News reporters left the studios early in the morning as originally scheduled. According to ATV’s public affairs manager Jeff Wong (黃守東), approximately 160 employees were left in ATV since the broadcaster’s early March lay-off. Wong expressed that April 1 would be an unforgettable day for many employees. Although ATV would no longer be on air, the company still remains. Wong said ATV is currently finding alternative ways to continue their operations, such as providing internet services. However, that decision would be up to the investors. Many ATV viewers from Mainland China went to ATV’s headquarters in Tai Po to witness ATV’s final moments, taking pictures and passing out support badges. Wong said he is grateful for the fans support. ATV’s Final Moment Creds: ihktv
