Hong Kong – TVB is facing investigation by the Broadcasting Authority over complaints that it restricts affiliated stars and singers from appearing on rival TV stations. The broadcaster has been accused of violating the principle of fair competition and anti-monopoly laws by imposing ‘unfair’ terms on the artists that would directly affect the operations of other broadcasters, such as ATV and Cable TV. Sing Tao Daily reports that the authority launched the probe based on complaints lodged by ailing broadcaster ATV. ATV sent a letter to the authority making a number of complaints, such as TVB allegedly imposing unwritten restrictions on artists and singers that deprive ATV of its opportunity to hire artists. Such business practice amounts to monopoly, it said. ATV also alleged TVB offered ‘favorable’ ad rates to clients, and that some of the best RTHK productions are broadcast exclusively on TVB. Issues surrounding TVB have long been a public concern in Hong Kong. The recent TVB Jade Solid Gold Awards was clouded by a royalties dispute between TVB and record companies Universal, Warner, Sony BMG and EMI. According to local news reports, TVB was asked to pay a bigger share of copyright fees for songs and music videos of their artistes. As such, singers from the Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG) became the biggest winner in the awards, taking 19 of the 47 awards. The rest of the awards went mostly to singers from record label East Asia and TVB artistes, such as Raymond Lam, who took the Asia Pacific Most Popular Male Artist award. A Hong Kong-based source told Television Asia Plus that viewers were “utterly disappointed with TVB. It is clear that TVB deliberately shut out singers of the four record companies from the Solid Gold Awards 2010 and then made awkward choices for the awards. The most ridiculous thing was giving the Asia Pacific Most Popular Male Artist award to Raymond Lam, who really is still an amateur singer compared to many veterans who are more deserving of this award. I would rather they have cancelled the event this year rather than have to make such irrational decisions that tell people yet again that they couldn’t care less about viewers’ opinions.”