Hong
Kong's public broadcaster has dropped a 24-hour BBC's World Service radio
channel, and replaced it with Chinese state radio.
The
Chinese station broadcasts mostly in Mandarin, not the city's main Cantonese
dialect.
The
BBC service has been broadcast continually on Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)
since 1978.
Critics
say the change is evidence of the gradual encroachment of mainland Chinese state
media into Hong Kong.
This,
they say, is leading to increased censorship in the Chinese territory that was a
British colony until 1997.
The
BBC said it was "always disappointed when a service our listeners are used to
changes".
But
added that the World Service was "doing everything we can to ensure we continue
to reach our audiences."
It
also confirmed the BBC radio station would still be available to listeners
overnight on RTHK and available 24 hours via the internet and on the Telstar 18
DTH satellite platform for people in Hong Kong with a domestic satellite
dish.
An
online petition signed by almost 1,000 people said the move would make the city
"feel more parochial and inward-looking".
But
a spokesperson for RTHK told Reuters that the decision was not influenced by
politics, and that the adoption of China National Radio would enhance cultural
exchanges.
It
said the BBC channel would still be broadcast for eight hours overnight, and
occasionally during weekends.
The
BBC statement added that RTHK had also "agreed to consider including some BBC
World Service English programmes in their daytime schedules".
