Hong Kong Cable Television Limited ("CABLE TV") and Guangdong Radio and Television ("GRT") announced today the signing of a strategic partnership agreement, under which the two companies will strengthen their media collaboration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area). By consolidating each other's resources, the two companies will promote knowledge and technological exchange to enhance the quality of their content production. Under the three key principles of "complementarity, strong collaborative partnership and mutual benefits", the two companies will form a strategic partnership.

According to the agreement, the two companies will start a cooperative framework covering programme production and business collaboration. They will also be building a new media platform together, which would combine the strengths of both parties in developing various projects and achieve a win-win situation.

GRT is a provincial radio and television organization in China's Guangdong Province. It is also the largest broadcast media organization in Southern China. GRT's wide range of businesses include broadcast, television, newspapers, magazines, networks, new media, and broadcasting television services. It owns nine radio channels, as well as 20 free and digital pay television channels. Its satellite television signals cover more than 50 countries and regions, reaching an audience of over 2 billion.

CABLE TV is one of the most reputable and reliable producers of multi-media content in Hong Kong with a network coverage reaching over 90% of the population. The company will continue to build upon its strengths and progressively develop into a multi-media platform covering free and pay TV, mobile, outdoor media, as well as new media. These developments will allow the general public to enjoy access to CABLE TV's quality content anytime, anywhere.

Following the State Council of the People's Republic of China's release of the "Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" last month, the Group is committed to allocating resources in support of the development in the Greater Bay Area. It has also signed a strategic partnership agreement with Guangdong Cable TV Network in January this year. Through the strategic collaboration between CABLE TV and GRT, the company hopes to form a media alliance in the region, aiming to produce quality financial and infotainment programmes. It will reach out to a wider audience living and working in the Greater Bay Area.

Ms Irene Leung Shuk-yee, Chief Operating Officer of i-CABLE Communications Limited, said, "As the development of the Greater Bay Area strengthens the information exchange among the region's nine cities including Hong Kong, Macau and Pearl River Delta region, there is a huge demand for financial and infotainment programmes from viewers, and this is what brings the media into closer partnerships. GRT is a provincial radio and television organization and a leading media corporation in Guangdong Province with a network reaching more than 2 billion people. In the past year, CABLE TV has been actively developing and lining up with other broadcasting platforms to deliver our quality programmes. The strategic partnership with GRT is very important. We promise to dedicate more resources to support media collaboration in the Greater Bay Area and to continue exploring new markets. We hope to bring more quality infotainment programmes to our audience and foster cultural exchange in the region."

Mr Cai Fuqing, Chairman of Guangdong Radio and Television, said, "As the development of the Greater Bay Area provides substantial opportunities, we are committed to combining the collective strengths of the media in the region and foster their integration and development. Through the partnership agreement, we will jointly establish a new media broadcasting platform. We will also utilize each other's operational resources and platforms to foster technology and talent exchange and to enhance programme quality. Looking ahead, with the integration and development of the media network in the Greater Bay Area, we will work together to enhance the status of the Greater Bay Area among other bay areas in the world."