Rediffusion Television
| Government Franchised | |
| Industry |
Radio broadcasting Television broadcasting |
| Successor | Asia Television |
| Founded | 1949 (Radio) 29 May 1957 (Television) |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong |
 |
|
| Based in | London |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Hong Kong |
| First airdate | 29 May 1957 |
| Closed | 24 September 1982 |
| Replaced by | Asia Television |
| Owned by | BET, Broadcast Relay Services |
Rediffusion Television (RTV; traditional Chinese: 麗的電視有限公司; simplified Chinese: 丽的电视有限公司; Jyutping: Lai6dik1 Din6si6 Jau5haan6gung1si1) was the first television station in Hong Kong, making it both the first British colony and the first predominantly Chinese city to have television. It began as a radio station in 1949 and became Asia Television (亞洲電視)on 24 September 1982.
Radio Rediffusion was officially founded in 1949 as a highly successful wired radio station run by the Rediffusion company. It was known by the Chinese name 麗的呼聲 (pinyin: Lìde hūshēng; Jyutping: Lai6dik1 fu1sing1). The radio service was highly successful with its main competitor Commercial Radio. Some of the early contents included plays, stories, concerts and Cantonese operas. The broadcasts were some of the main attraction in Hong Kong tea shops. One of the most famous broadcasters was Li Ngaw: another was Uncle Ray, the pioneering DJ.
It later became a subscription cable television station on 29 May 1957 under the Chinese name 麗的映聲 (pinyin: Lìde yìngshēng; Jyutping: Lai6dik1 jing2sing1), thus becoming the first television station in a colony of the British Empire, as well as the first television station in a predominantly Chinese city. It initially offered a four-hour-per-day English language and Chinese language service. The installation fee during its launch was HK$25, with an equipment rental fee of $45, and a monthly subscription charge of $36.
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