The Hong Kong police force will broadcast a new weekly programme on social media platforms starting on Thursday. It comes after public broadcaster RTHK and the force agreed to end their partnership in producing the long-running Police Report show in July.
In the latest edition of OffBeat – an internal police publication – the force said officers Brandon Wong and Kiri Mok will host a 15-minute episode every Thursday night about fighting crime and introducing the duties of various police units.
The internally produced programme OffBeat On Air will be live streamed on the police Facebook page and YouTube channel, featuring guest hosts as well as chat segments for viewers to raise questions in real time.
The hosts told OffBeat that the new show would help citizens “tell truths and lies apart in no time,” citing allegations of sexual assault against the force during last year’s anti-extradition bill protests. They claimed that such accusations later appeared to be “pure fabrications.”
“Although there has been a significant decrease in violent protests recently, some people who
have been misled by untrue information in fact still harbour hatred towards the police. We hope to help the force counterbalance such bogus information via OffBeat On Air,” the hosts said.
Wong and Mok had been the hosts of Police Report before RTHK and the force announced the decision to the axe the 47-year television programme. Police said the decision was made after they reviewed their publicity strategies, while the broadcaster agreed to cancel the show as it would be difficult to continue production without the force.
The end of the partnership came amid tension between police and RTHK over the content of the broadcaster’s satirical show Headliner. Police chief Chris Tang lodged a complaint against the programme after an episode on February 14 jokingly implied that officers hoarded protective supplies during the coronavirus pandemic, saying such portrayal has “undermined police work.”
RTHK later suspended the show in May after the Communications Authority issued it with a warning for “insulting” the police force.