QUOTES

"Hong Kong TV is not informative or educational enough. It depends what people want, of course, but TV there is too much entertainment-oriented.”

(Robert Chua, Singapore Straits Times January 3, 1981)

"Hong Kong TV stations want to make TV as commercial as possible, and they go far too much towards entertainment and not enough towards informative programmes like news, talk shows, documentaries and so on”

(Robert Chua, Singapore Straits Times January 3, 1981)

"One of the reasons for the success of the station was, I believe, the youth of the people involved. We were enthusiastic to the point of madness and thoroughly convinced of the wonderful future for television in Hong Kong.”

( Robert Chua on the early days of TVB in Hong Kong.)

"I was getting tired of being a management man. I always like looking for new production opportunities so I went on to greener pastures.”

(Robert Chua explaining why he left TVB to form Robert Chua Productions, from the South China Morning Post April 1985.)

"At times I have been a workaholic, and it has made things difficult in my life. In reality, I am a very shy person who has to force himself to communicate.”

(Robert Chua, TV & Entertainment Times, January 16, 1989.)

"CETV will have No Sex, No Violence, No News.”

(Robert Chua describing his Chinese language satellite station’s content mix.)

"Creative people don’t need degrees. They can either create something, or they can’t. It’s as simple as that,”

(Robert Chua, Asia Magazine, January 21, 1994.)

"My pockets may not be as deep as the big boys, but I have decades of experience in programming for this region and know how not to upset the people.”

(Robert Chua on the chances of success for CETV, International Herald Tribune April 23, 1994.)

"I am the only chief executive officer operating in the area with the relevant television experience to make this work.”

(Robert Chua on the chances of success for CETV, Television Asia April 1994)

"Using my experience from Australia and Singapore, I helped make (Hong Kong’s) TVB surpass the standard of Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. The latter fell behind in its creativity and production quality and has been relying heavily on Hong Kong and Taiwan professionals to help train their staff for more than 15 years.”

(Robert Chua, Online, May 1994)

"No other national broadcaster in the world finds itself in such a situation where most of the key posts and staff are headed by foreigners. It is all right if these people act as consultants. It is a nation’s pride to have only its own people running its own station.”

(Robert Chua commenting on Singapore’s TV industry, Online, May 1994)

"Peggy Chua is the most knowledgeable person about TV programming in Hong Kong.”

(Robert Chua, Electronic Media International, April 7 1995.)

"I think of television as a service to society.”

(Robert Chua explaining the challenge of creating content for CETV while sticking to his `No Sex, No Violence, No News’ formula.)

"I’m disciplined, no-nonsense. To be an entrepreneur, one has to be unafraid of failure and one has to be tough. You cannot be popular. I’m tough to work for, but my people respect me. Maybe when I’m older, I’ll be nicer.

(Robert Chua commenting on his management style at CETV, Singapore’s Business Times, 1995.)

"I feel like a 21 year old, brimming with energy and enthusiasm and I’m going to make this a good channel where people can learn something. I might lose a few battles taking on TVB and Star TV, but I’m going to win a few, too, and I’m going to win the war.”

(Robert Chua, Singapore’s Business Times, 1995.)

"I didn’t have a degree so I was discriminated against at Radio Television Singapore. Even though I was doing the same job as graduates, they were being paid four times as much as I was.

(Robert Chua on his early days in Singapore television, Singapore’s Business Times, 1995.)

"It is disgusting to have programs like `Beavis and Butthead’ on the air. You don’t have to produce sex and violence to make money. Walt Disney made a lot of money. I believe I can the same thing here by following his lead.” (Robert Chua, Singapore’s Business Times, 1995.)

"I like to stay in touch with the consumer. I think my programs have stayed good because I have stayed on as one of the people. I’m in touch. I’m a man on the street.”

(Robert Chua, Singapore’s Business Times, 1995.)

“What I’m doing (with CETV) is really Government-friendly. I’ve been in China since 1979 – I understand the cultural sensitivity.”

(Robert Chua, Asian Business magazine, October 1996)

"You see people kissing and going to bed on the first date on TV. If kids grow up on that diet, they think this is what life is all about. That is polluting to me.” (Robert Chua, South China Morning Post October 20, 1997.)

"Advertising revenue (for CETV) is well below my expectations. I think that is because we don’t have a good sales team in China. We need a team that knows China better.”

(Robert Chua, South China Morning Post October 20, 1997.)

"We have not failed, except in dealing with those investors.”

(Robert Chua commenting on his bumpy ride with CETV investors, Asiaweek March 13, 1998)

"In just the past two years, seven satellite channels in Asia, owned by multinationals, have closed down, merged, or been forced to sell their interests. I stand here before you today as an Asian satcaster on the brink of joining them.”