Hong Kong broadcaster TVB is to drop all BBC channels from its streaming service by the end of the month, HKFP has learned.

BBC World News, BBC Earth, CBeebies and BBC Lifestyle are set to disappear from MyTVSuper on January 31.

TVB building
TVB. File photo: Tim Wu, via Wikicommons.

TVB told HKFP it would not comment on individual cases, but stated that it “reviews its programme structure and development on a regular basis in order to provide informative and innovative programmes to the audiences.”

When approached, the BBC referred HKFP to TVB. However, a spokesperson added: “On the BBC side, our channels, including BBC World News, are still available on HK Cable and Now TV, plus our digital news services are available on bbc.com and bbc.com/Chinese as well as on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.”

BBC headquarters
The BBC headquarters in London. File Photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.

In 2017, local public broadcaster RTHK replaced its 24-hour BBC World Service radio broadcast with Chinese state-run programming. In 2021, it suspended its relay of BBC World Service and BBC News Weekly after China banned the UK broadcaster’s channels over its reporting on Xinjiang.

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Tom founded Hong Kong Free Press in 2015 as the city's first crowdfunded newspaper. He has a BA in Communications and New Media from Leeds University and an MA in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. He previously founded an NGO advocating for domestic worker rights, and has contributed to the BBC, Deutsche Welle, Al-Jazeera and others.

Tom leads HKFP – raising funds, managing the team and navigating risk – whilst regularly speaking on press freedom, ethics and media funding at industry events, schools and conferences around the world.