The newly elected lawmaker is planning to turn to Internet radio to revive the controversial show.

Cheng also he would push the government to free up the airwaves for community radio.

He also wants to see politicians run their own stations.

"Why not let all flowers bloom together? The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) could run a DAB station. There can also be a Democratic Party station or a `Long Hair' [activist Leung Kwok-hung] station. And I don't rule out the possibility of a `Taipan' station,'' Cheng said in an interview with The Standard.

Cheng, who signed off the air after a war of words with Commercial Radio that saw his contract terminated in August, wants a bigger channel than the Legislative Council to air his views.

Citing death threats, Cheng switched off his microphone in early May, a move causing widespread concern about the erosion of freedom of speech.

Once Hong Kong's most infamous radio talk-back host, who made a career of courting controversy, maverick lawmaker Albert "Taipan'' Cheng is planning to turn to Internet radio to revive golden times at the now-defunct Teacup in a Storm programme.

Cheng, who shot to fame as the most popular talk show host on Commercial Radio, said he was planning to pull other stunts on Internet radio and in the long term, he would push the government to free up the airwaves for community radio. The sharp-tongued commentator argued the airwaves should be liberalised to allow different politicians to run their own stations, and to enhance freedom of speech.

"Why not let all flowers bloom together? The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) could run a DAB station. There can also be a Democratic Party station or a `Long Hair' [activist Leung Kwok-hung] station. And I don't rule out the possibility of a `Taipan' station,'' Cheng told The Standard.

For a talk-show host who spent the past 10 years making inflammatory soundbites, it is natural that lawmaker Cheng, who courts controversy and the mass media at every turn, would feel he does not have enough channels to air his views. The media mouth, who signed off the air after a war of words with Commercial Radio that saw his contract terminated in August, wants a bigger channel than the Legislative Council to air his views.

Citing death threats, Cheng switched off his microphone in early May, a move causing widespread concern about the erosion of freedom of speech. Before the airwaves are liberalised, setting up his own Internet radio station is a solution, he said.

Cheng said it was friends who came up with the idea and were now urging him to set up his own Internet radio station.

If the station was started, talk-show friends like Peter Lam, his ex-partner at Teacup in a Storm, and Allen Lee, former Liberal Party chief, would be on the list of co-hosts.

Cheng was not worried about getting senior officials to respond on his show.

"This is not a problem. It depends on whether or not you are influential or a good strategist. Even for the mainstream stations, it is difficult for them to get senior officials to appear on their programmes. This explains why, when I was still hosting Teacup in a Storm, I could easily get senior officials to speak at my show,'' he said.

In the long term, Cheng said the airwaves should be freed up for community stations to allow the public to express their views. As vice-chairman of Legco's Information Technology and Broadcasting panel, liberalisation of the airwaves is one of his priorities.

At present, all available radio frequencies are occupied by the government and commercial sectors, including Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Commercial Radio and Metro Radio. Local organisations have been making demands for access but the government has insisted the SAR's spectrum is full.

However, Cheng believes the problem is not about a shortage of radio frequencies but the government's fear of dissenting voices. He said Hong Kong, as an international city, should embrace different views.

"Of course the government is conservative. It is so afraid of us and its critics, otherwise there wouldn't be so many cases of talk-show hosts going off the air,'' he said.

"We should tolerate a so-called democratic station that, in their eyes, seeks to oppose Beijing and subvert Hong Kong, and at the same time we can also have 10 stations that promote patriotism. We only want the public to have more choices.''

He is highly critical of the initiative by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to have senior officials regularly attend talk shows at government-run RTHK to get a better grasp of public opinion.

"This is the biggest joke from the government. It just tells people that in the past seven years, their opinions have fallen on deaf ears. Now the government wants them to speak more at radio programmes, so why did they force us to turn off our microphones in the first place?'' he asked.

"This is a complete waste of time. They should be doing what they are supposed to do. They should be listening more to radio programmes, not hosting them.''

cannix.yau@globalchina.com