The Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) Programme Staff Union published an open letter protesting the delayed promotion of Chan Man-kuen on Thursday. Chan is currently the acting assistant director of television and corporate businesses, and was expected to take the position permanently.
However, Chan has yet to be promoted after more than a year in office. She took the position in May of last year and has failed to qualify for a permanent role twice – the last time in April – according to local media.
According to the letter, addressed to RTHK Director of Broadcasting Leung Ka-wing, Chan failed to pass the criteria for promotion because “her performance did not ‘promote synergy.’” The union said it was “extremely necessary that [Leung] give an explanation as to what ‘synergy’ meant and when it became a new promotion criteria in order to dispel staff members’ worries and suspicions.”
The letter also said: “What we care about is not personnel change itself, but how the change will affect the television department’s editorial judgement and development…”
During the time Chan was acting director, RTHK took over the management of ATV’s analogue channels.
Two other staff members in acting positions were promoted into permanent positions in April – Assistant Director of Radio and Corporate Programming Chan Yiu-wah and Controller of Radio Jace Au Lai-ngar. Au took the acting position in January, while Chan Yiu-wah served as an acting assistant director for about a year.
Concern was raised at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) last week, when acting Head of Operations Rebecca Li Bo-lan was replaced by Ricky Yau Shu-chun in an unprecedented move from the organisation.
