So Ming Hang. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-227). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Content --- p.vii / List of Table and figures --- p.xi / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction: the dilemma of RTHK and research questions --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Significance of the study: importance of the mass media and RTHK in the political process in Hong Kong --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of the study: practical policy concerns for RTHK --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- The unstable financial situation of the public broadcasters around the world --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- "The political context of Hong Kong, which RTHK is situated" --- p.12 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research questions --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review: The normative role of public broadcaster and their performance in actual practice compared with commercial broadcaster --- p.25 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.25 / Chapter 2.2 --- Public vs Private --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3 --- Theoretical defense for the public broadcasting: Market failure in broadcasting --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Spectrum scarcity and failure of competition --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- """Public goods"" nature of broadcasting" --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Externality of the broadcasting as a media --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- The incapacity of the audience --- p.34 / Chapter 2.4 --- Spectrum scarcity: Weakening rationale --- p.35 / Chapter 2.5 --- "Market Solution for the ""public goods"" failure: Advertising" --- p.36 / Chapter 2.6 --- Empirical studies: The public broadcasters may not be very different --- p.39 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- Information source/news source/guest --- p.39 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Topics/Agenda --- p.42 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Frames/Themes/Angle --- p.43 / Chapter 2.6.4 --- Other studies --- p.44 / Chapter 2.7 --- Theoretical explanation for the quite similar phenomenon between the public and commercial broadcasters --- p.46 / Chapter 2.7.1 --- Political economy perspective --- p.47 / Chapter 2.7.2 --- Sociological/Cultural approach --- p.48 / Chapter 2.8 --- Empirical studies: Public broadcaster make commercial broadcaster better --- p.49 / Chapter 2.9 --- Empirical studies: Public broadcasters still show its unique role --- p.50 / Chapter 2.10 --- Empirical studies: Public broadcaster may be different but pro-government (the presence of political pressure) --- p.52 / Chapter 2.11 --- The study on Hong Kong mass media and Public Broadcasting --- p.55 / Chapter 2.12 --- Summary --- p.60 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- The historical background and expected distinctive mission of RTHK in Hong Kong --- p.63 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.63 / Chapter 3.2 --- The basic structure and existing service of RTHK --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3 --- The historical development of RTHK as a public broadcaster --- p.66 / Chapter 3.4 --- The existing base for RTHK working as a public broadcaster --- p.71 / Chapter 3.5 --- Role of RTHK as a different broadcaster: claimed by RTHK and the government --- p.73 / Chapter 3.6 --- Role of RTHK as a different broadcaster: expected and interpreted by the public --- p.78 / Chapter 3.7 --- Role of RTHK as a different broadcaster: expected and interpreted by the pro-China camp --- p.80 / Chapter 3.8 --- Summary: High expectation on RTHK to act differently --- p.82 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research method and design: The coverage of RTHK on 2004 Hong Kong Legislative Council election compared with the commercial broadcasters --- p.84 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.84 / Chapter 4.2 --- 2004 Legislative Council Election as a case to compare the public and commercial broadcaster --- p.85 / Chapter 4.3 --- The Radio broadcasting in Hong Kong --- p.87 / Chapter 4.4 --- Commercial radio broadcasting in Hong Kong --- p.89 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Commercial Radio --- p.90 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Metro Broadcast --- p.92 / Chapter 4.5 --- Research Method: quantitative content analysis with the help of qualitative analysis --- p.94 / Chapter 4.6 --- Hypothesis setting --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Data Analysis I: The News bulletins in the 2004 Legislative Council Election --- p.101 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.101 / Chapter 5.2 --- Background --- p.101 / Chapter 5.3 --- The salience of the election coverage --- p.102 / Chapter 5.4 --- The themes of the election coverage --- p.105 / Chapter 5.5 --- The news source of the election coverage --- p.112 / Chapter 5.6 --- The sound bite sources and their duration of the election coverage --- p.118 / Chapter 5.7 --- Summary: RTHK quite followed the mainstream commercial broadcasters --- p.123 / Chapter 5.8 --- Case I: The nomination period for the election --- p.125 / Chapter 5.9 --- Case II: Ma Lik has been diagnosed as having cancer --- p.136 / Chapter 5.10 --- Discussion and Summary for the finding --- p.139 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Data Analysis II: The phone-in current affairs programme in the 2004 Legislative Council Election --- p.143 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.143 / Chapter 6.2 --- Background --- p.143 / Chapter 6.3 --- The salience of the election-related discussion --- p.145 / Chapter 6.4 --- The topics for the discussion about the election --- p.150 / Chapter 6.5 --- The guest for the election discussion --- p.165 / Chapter 6.6 --- Discussion and Summary for the findings --- p.183 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Conclusion: RTHK provided limited alternatives in the coverage of 2004 Legislative Council Election by news bulletins and phone-in programmes --- p.187 / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.187 / Chapter 7.2 --- Summary of the findings from the study --- p.191 / Chapter 7.3 --- Implication and discussion --- p.196 / Chapter 7.4 --- Limitation and further research --- p.202 / Appendix --- p.205 / Appendix I The original quotation used in different chapters --- p.205 / Appendix II Analysis Form for each story in the news bulletin --- p.209 / Appendix III Analysis Form for the phone-in current affairs programme --- p.213 / Appendix IV The election-related topics that discussed by the phone-in programmes in the study period --- p.215 / Bibliography --- p.218

This research study investigates Lotus FM, as one of many South African Media components that are catering for one specific cultural or religious group. The investigation explores the implications of practice of a pecific media component that caters for specific cultural or religious groups operating in a post-apartheid South Africa. After the end of the apartheid era in South Africa, a number of South African media components have proclaimed their commitment to reconciliation and nation building within South Africa by attempting to unite audiences. The South African Broadcasting Corporation, which held the monopoly on South African Broadcasting for decades, has promulgated the notion of the rainbow nation to audiences in South Africa. Since 1994, sub-components of the different South African media segments were developed to cater for specific ethnic or cultural groups by the station managements. This was aimed at reversing the effects of pre-1994 media that catered for the former ruling minority only or ethnic groups that were categorized by the former political dispensation. It is possible, however, that this has resulted in a renewed and continued separation of interest groups present in South Africa today.