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Host of Hong Kong LGBTQ radio show ‘We Are Family’ says Metro Radio halts relaunch
Hong Kong’s Metro Radio has abruptly halted plans to relaunch radio programme We Are Family, an LGBTQ show axed by government-funded broadcaster RTHK three years ago, its host has said.
Brian Leung, the host of We Are Family, said on the show’s Facebook page on Wednesday that Metro Radio invited him in April to relaunch We Are Family on Metro Info Live, one of the radio’s channels.
The invitation was made by Steven Ma, who was the CEO of Metro Radio at the time. It was decided that the show would start on May 29, Leung said.
After Ma announced he was leaving Metro Radio in May, Leung said he sought clarification from the head of Metro Info Live about whether the show would go on. He was told it would launch as scheduled and that an advertisement for it had already aired on Monday.
However, Leung said he received a call from the head of Metro Info Live on Wednesday afternoon, saying Metro Radio’s new management had decided to halt the relaunch.
No reasons were provided for the change, Leung said.
HKFP has reached out to Metro Radio, which is owned by CK Hutchison Holdings, for comment.
“It was sudden and unusual… [I] send my apologies to all of We Are Family‘s supporters for getting everyone’s hopes up,” Leung said in the Chinese-language post.
“The platform is run by others, and we can’t influence their back-and-forth decisions. What we could do is to safeguard the channels we have left and continue to speak up,” Leung has said.
We Are Family was launched in 2006 to promote diversity and discuss topics related to gay culture and diverse lifestyles, according to the broadcaster’s website.
It was the city’s first and only LGBTQ radio show. After the RTHK suspension, Leung continued to run the show on the YouTube channel.
Hong Kong has seen a shrinking space for LGBTQ events in recent years.
On Monday, LGBTQ carnival Pink Dot announced its cancellation for the second year after its venue pulled out. Leung is also a co-director of Pink Dot.
In November last year, the Hong Kong Pride Committee scrapped an outdoor festival at Kwun Tong Promenade after being told the venue was not available.
