RTHK cleared over Taiwan WHO row

The Communications Authority has ruled that complaints over a segment on an RTHK program when a reporter asked about Taiwan's status in the World Health Organization were unsubstantiated.

"The complaints against the television program The Pulse were unsubstantiated and no further action should be taken against RTHK," the authority said.

The complaints were directed at an episode aired last March 28, when the host of the show, Yvonne Tong Yeuk-wun, asked Bruce Aylward, the senior adviser to the director-general of WHO, whether the organization would reconsider Taiwan's membership.

Aylward said he could not hear the question and asked Tong to move on to something else. After Tong mentioned Taiwan again, the call ended unexpectedly.

The authority later received 210 complaints regarding the interview.

The authority ruled that the interview was not unfair to Aylward, as the program did not distort or misrepresent the physician's comments.

"There was insufficient evidence to establish that RTHK had not made reasonable efforts to ensure that the factual content of the general remark was accurate," the authority said.

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah said last April that he doubted the show violated the one-China principle or RTHK's charter.

Tong resigned from RTHK two months ago.

The ruling came as the high court began hearinga challenge by RTHK's Programme Staff Union and the Hong Kong Journalists Association over another of the authority's ruling.

That involved the TV program Headliner, with the authority saying it violates the freedom of press and speech.

The authority issued the program with a warning for "denigrating and insulting" the police last May. The decision referred to an episode aired last February 14, in which the police were mocked for having more protective gear than medical staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Johannes Chan Man-mun, who represented the applicants, told the court that the nature of the program was lighthearted and humorous, and no reasonable viewer would believe everything they heard on the show. The hearing continues today.