Television Broadcasts Limited or TVB remains to be the largest program production company in Hong Kong's television industry. So when entrepreneur Ricky Wong, first introduced HKTV, many were hopeful of its success.

HKTV prided itself for being able to support various platforms including television, computers, smartphones and tablets. Thus, when it launched in November 2014, it immediately gained immense support. Unfortunately, the online broadcaster has consistently been experiencing a serious drop in ratings.

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In November 2014, the network reportedly had an average of 385,000 live viewers and 205,000 unique viewers. And when their first drama, "The Election", a political drama television series which starred Angelica Lee and Liu Kai Chi, premiered, they gained the interest of viewers, as well as received enthusiastic support. 

Sadly, on the second week, HKTV experienced a massive drop in ratings, having only an average of 183,000 viewers per day. And by February 2015, there were only 99,000 viewers per day, with only 60,000 unique visitors.

Due to the drop in ratings, as well as poor promotion, the excitement that was initially built up for the "The Election" eventually died down. Filming for the second season of the series was supposed to be scheduled on February but HKTV postponed the shoot and has not yet released any specific updates.

Due to the very low viewership, HKTV will reportedly have no more new dramas to show after September 2015. And because of the decision to stop the production, the network is also starting to lose production staff and other employees.

When asked why they are halting the production, he explained that the network is undergoing many changes. "Because HKTV has stopped production, it is natural for artistes and production crew to leave after their contracts are up. If HKTV plans to make dramas again in the future, we will go under restructuring."

While HKTV's future does not look good, Ricky Wong revealed that he is not the least bit worried. Through a spokesperson, he said, "After changing the image of HKTV, we used it as an entertainment platform and an e-shopping center. There are three major income sources, the first is income from overseas buyers, the second is from commercials, and the third is from HKTV Mall, which just launched on February 2. Our goal is to make [HKTV Mall] as an e-shopping supercenter." 

HKTV has requested for a free-to-air broadcasting license, as well as a mobile license and Ricky explained that they are still waiting for the High Court's judicial review.

As for the low viewership and how they are going to deal with it, he shared, "The way we present our programs are different from other television stations. Therefore, our viewers are also different. Many people would usually turn on the TV and do other things, but HKTV's broadcasting platform doesn't allow you to do that. Most of our viewers are very active in watching our programs. The rise and drop in viewership ratings are normal. We will change things according to the audience's tastes. That way, HKTV can understand what the viewers want."

TagsHKTV, Ricky Wong, The Election