Pair in digital pact

TVB, ATV bring digital broadcast to Hong Kong in '07

By VICKI ROTHROCK

HONG KONG -- Free-to-air Television Broadcasts (TVB) and Asia Television (ATV) are joining forces to bring a digital broadcasting to Hong Kong.

The launch date is end 2007, but there should be a demonstration of the service by the middle of this year.

In the meantime, the rival broadcasters are waiting for the government to decide which system will be used once they make the switch from analog.

TVB and ATV are each investing HK$400 million ($51.5 million) in digital program production, according to the South China Morning Post.