百岁邵逸夫欲挥别TVB

英语自学网

　　Sir Run Run seeks right deal for TVB farewell
       
        　　When the 101-year-old Sir Run Run Shaw appeared at Television Broadcasts' anniversary celebration last month with Miss Hong Kong on his arm, he was honoured not only as the godfather of Hong Kong show business but also as the chairman of TVB, the territory's leading broadcaster.
       
        　　While Sir Run Run may feel spry enough to walk down the red carpet again next year, a deal he is trying to broker may bring an end to his reign as chairman of the broadcaster he helped found 41 years ago.
       
        　　Shaw Brothers, Hong Kong's most famous film maker, which is majority owned by Sir Run Run, last week suspended trading of its shares ahead of a possible privatisation of the company by him.
       
        　　Analysts say a buy-out is likely to be a prelude to an outright sale of Shaw Brothers, which would mark Sir Run Run's long-delayed farewell to TVB, the television station in which Shaw Brothers has a 26 per cent stake. Sir Run Run also personally holds a 6.23 per cent stake in TVB.
       
        　　Born in 1907 when China was in the Qing dynasty, Sir Run Run practises qigong and eats ginseng to stay healthy and alert. Even though he still regularly attends TVB board meetings, these days he often sits quietly without making many comments.
       
        　　“The man is 101 years old. It is his wife who makes all the decisions,” said an industry insider.
       
        　　Daily operation of TVB is left to 74-year-old Mona Fong, a former singer and Sir Run Run's second wife. His two sons and two daughters from his first wife are reported to be uninterested in running his media empire.
       
        　　“[Sir] Run Run does not go to work very often and never says much in meetings. Mona Fong speaks for him,” said an industry veteran and a former employee.
       
        　　Sir Run Run has been trying to sell his 75 per cent stake in Shaw Brothers for years, and was in talks with Yeung Kwok-Keung, chairman of Country Garden, the Chinese property developer, this summer. The HK$10bn deal collapsed two months ago because of the economic turmoil.
       
        　　Analysts say Sir Run Run is now keen to take Shaw Brothers private to take advantage of the company's low share price, which peaked at HK$23.50 in June and were suspended at HK$8.13 last week.
       
        　　A privatised Shaw Brothers would also allow Ms Fong to carry out a property deal that she was unable to do a few months ago.
       
        　　In August, she struck an agreement with Shaw Brothers to buy a piece of land in Hong Kong's suburbs for HK$25.2m.
       
        　　She was forced to pull out of the transaction in September because of the possible takeover by Mr Yeung.
       
        　　“A sale of TVB is what [Sir] Run Run wants in the long run, but in the short run it is the property deal,” said an analyst who declined to be named.
       
        　　TVB watchers also say Ms Fong may not want to relinquish control of TVB soon.
       
        　　Known as “uncle number six” for being the sixth child of a Shanghai textile merchant, Sir Run Run moved to Hong Kong in the 1950s and in 1958 set up Shaw Brothers, before investing in TVB in 1967.
       
        　　Eight out of 10 Hong Kong televisions are tuned to TVB's Jade channel during prime time, watching shows that produced stars such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Chow Yun-fat.
       
        　　Under Sir Run Run's leadership, TVB became the world's largest producer of Chinese language programming with the biggest library of Cantonese content.
       
        　　“TVB is a great brand,” said Vivek Couto, executive director of Media Partners Asia, a Hong Kong-based media consultancy. “It has 80 per cent of viewership in Hong Kong and 75 per cent of advertising. It is big in China. Selling TVB is not a problem. It's just a matter of time.”
       
        　　分析：百岁邵逸夫欲挥别TVB
       
        　　上月，当101岁高龄的邵逸夫爵士手挽香港小姐，出现在香港电视广播有限公司周年庆典上的时候，他之所以受到尊敬，不仅仅因为他是香港影视业教父，还因为他是TVB董事局主席。TVB是香港地区领先的广播电视公司。
       
        　　虽然邵逸夫可能觉得精力足够充沛，明年可以再次走下红地毯，但他努力撮合的一桩交易，可能终结他在TVB的统治。41年前，他协助创立了这家广播电视公司。
       
        　　香港最著名的电影公司邵氏兄弟股票上周停牌，以待有关该公司可能被邵逸夫私有化的公告。邵逸夫持有邵氏兄弟的多数股权。
       
        　　分析师表示，将邵氏兄弟公司私有化，可能是完全出售前的序幕，这将标志着邵逸夫对TVB姗姗来迟的道别。邵氏兄弟持有TVB 26%的股份，邵逸夫个人也持有TVB 6.23%的股份。
       
        　　邵逸夫生于1907年，当时中国还处于清朝的统治之下，他练习气功、服食人参，以保持身体健康灵敏。尽管他仍定期出席TVB董事局会议，但这段时间他常常是安静地坐在那里，不发表多少意见。
       
        　　一位业内知情人士表示：“这位老人已101岁高龄。在做所有决定的是他的妻子。”
       
        　　TVB的日常运营交由现年74岁的方逸华负责。方逸华以前是一名歌手，她是邵逸夫的第二任妻子。有报道称，邵逸夫与其首任妻子所生的两子两女均对接手他的媒体帝国不感兴趣。
       
        　　一位有着多年业内经历的TVB前雇员表示：“邵逸夫（爵士）不经常上班，从不在会议上说太多话，方逸华代表他发言。”
       
        　　多年来，邵逸夫一直设法出售所持邵氏兄弟75%的股权，今年夏季，曾与中国房地产开发商碧桂园董事长杨国强进行了谈判。两个月前，此笔价值100亿港元（合13亿美元）的交易因经济危机而夭折。
       
        　　分析师表示，邵逸夫目前热衷于将邵氏兄弟私有化，以利用该公司目前股价较低的机会。邵氏兄弟股价在6月份曾达到23.50港元的高点，上周停牌前报收于8.13港元。
       
        　　将邵氏兄弟公司私有化，还将使方逸华得以完成其数月前无法实施的一桩房地产交易。
       
        　　8月，方逸华与邵氏兄弟签署协议，以2520万港元的价格收购香港郊区的一块土地。
       
        　　但因为杨国强可能进行的收购，她被迫在9月取消了上述交易。
       
        　　一位拒绝透露姓名的分析师表示：“出售TVB是邵逸夫（爵士）长期以来的愿望，但就短期而言，是希望完成这笔地产交易。”
       
        　　TVB观察人士同时表示，方逸华可能不希望很快放弃对TVB的控制权。
       
        　　邵逸夫是一位上海纺织商人的第六个孩子，因此被称为“六叔”。“六叔”在上世纪50年代移居香港，并于1958年创立了邵氏兄弟公司，其后在1967年投资于TVB。
       
        　　每10个香港人中，就有8人在黄金时段收看TVB翡翠台的节目，这里曾造就了《卧虎藏龙》中周润发等明星。
       
        　　在邵逸夫的领导下，TVB成为全球最大的中文节目制作商，并拥有世界上最大的粤语内容资料库。
       
        　　香港媒体咨询公司Media Partners Asia执行董事维韦克?库托表示：“TVB是一个伟大的品牌，它拥有香港80%的电视观众，广告业务份额占到75%。TVB在中国也是个大品牌。出售它不成问题，只是时间早晚而已。”