A decade later, a second senior civil servant has once again been parachuted in to “set things right” at RTHK, as demanded by Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

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It will now be up to Patrick Li Pak-chuen, who takes over as editor-in-chief from Leung Ka-wing, to achieve what the veteran journalist from the private sector could not.

Calls for reform at RTHK have intensified over the past months, finally resulting in a searing investigative report released on Friday that took the broadcaster to task for poor management and editorial accountability, among numerous other criticisms.

In defending the government’s decision to give the job to a seasoned bureaucrat, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah pointed out that the report had flagged a host of management failures at RTHK. That would make an administrator of Li’s calibre the right man for the task, he argued.

Pro-establishment lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan agreed that Li’s administrative experience was needed to reform RTHK, although she conceded that winning the trust of the workforce would be a challenge for him as an outsider.

“I am confident that the new chief can help RTHK clarify its role as a government department. It will also help the broadcaster to iron out its relationship with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Communications Authority, and its board of advisers,” she said.

Liberal Party vice-chairman Peter Shiu Ka-fai added: “Administrative officers are trained to work in different departments ... They have a strong sense of what the rules are and what the loopholes could be.”

Both lawmakers, who sit on the Legislative Council’s panel on information technology and broadcasting, expressed confidence that the new chief would be able to handle editorial operations and policy as well. They argued that not having a background in journalism would work to his advantage because he would be more neutral and less protective of staff when handling complaints.

Other observers noted that during his tenure, Leung faced an uphill battle in a highly volatile political atmosphere, trying to strike a balance between running RTHK as a public broadcaster enjoying editorial independence and a government department funded by taxpayers’ money.

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“During Tang’s tenure, society was less polarised, and the government was less hostile towards RTHK. Our concern was whether he would be less supportive financially,” a producer from RTHK’s television division said on condition of anonymity. “Tang would not blatantly interfere with our editorial decisions … Yet we cannot imagine that Li would be concerned with public perception or procedure in making manpower decisions.”

Ng Chi-sum, former host of RTHK’s decades-old satirical show Headliner, which was axed last year, expected Li to exert full control over the troubled broadcaster.

Ng’s show came under fire during Tang’s term, with the administrative officer slamming his team for coming up with the idea of using Nazi characters on the programme – which was later dropped.

But the veteran host expected Li, who served as deputy secretary for home affairs before his latest appointment, would go beyond that now with the government more than willing to rock the boat.

The 85-page report took aim at RTHK’s internal governance and management, concluding there was a lack of transparency in handling complaints, no well-defined and properly documented editorial process, no holistic manpower strategy, and a poor procurement system, as well as a failure to align budgets.

Li is tasked with setting up a mechanism, timetable and action plans to rectify deep-rooted problems found in the report, with an aim to restore the 92-year-old RTHK’s dual identity as a public service broadcaster and a government department. He is also required to partner with the government-appointed board of advisers and other stakeholders during the course of the reform.

Dr Leung Lai-kuen, a lecturer at Chinese University’s (CUHK) journalism school, said the government was very determined to reform the broadcaster after years of attempts.

“Obviously, the appointment of a senior civil servant means a mission to turn the broadcaster towards a government unit more than a media organisation,” she said. “The new leader will redefine what a public broadcaster is.”

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The report also took further issue with the broadcaster’s reliance on non-civil service contract staff, or so-called Category 2 service providers.

“In the past, programme producers enjoyed certain editorial freedom and they could hire the freelancers they wanted to work with. But this power may be gone under the new chief’s micromanagement,” Ng said.

CUHK’s Leung echoed the concerns.

“The review report has sought to strengthen the role of management. The Category 2 service providers may not have their contracts renewed in the future,” she said.

Last month, RTHK terminated the civil service contract of Nabela Qoser, a journalist accused of being unprofessional because of her confrontational approach towards questioning officials. The move drew condemnation from its staff union, with then-director Leung Ka-wing claiming he was kept in the dark.

Both Leung Lai-kuen and Ng said they believed that it would be easier for Li, with no editorial experience, to make tough decisions as he would not be conflicted by a background in journalism.

“People with a journalistic background may be aware of what they can or cannot do, such as refusing propaganda work. [Li] may not have such a burden,” Ng said.

While RTHK staff have long resisted change with a strong union culture, this time they were facing a “new normal” in which the government was aggressively tackling opponents and making them toe the line, he said.

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Hong Kong Journalists Association chairman Chris Yeung Kin-hing said he expected the government to get tougher on RTHK management, adding he feared that self-censorship would follow.

“The board of advisers’ desire to build a closer relationship with management shows that the government wants a more intervening role in editorial programmes,” he said. “This threatens editorial independence.”

Yeung cited the suspension of Headliner last year following complaints from audience members that it was biased against police over the 2019 social unrest.

The Communications Authority subsequently ruled that it had “denigrated and insulted” the force.

“Politically incorrect programmes will come under tighter scrutiny than the charter stipulates,” Yeung said.

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Under Li, Leung Lai-kuen said, RTHK might be discouraged from producing politically sensitive shows and instead be asked to focus on livelihood issues.

Noting there was still a grey area in which the broadcaster could exist – between conservative and radical views – she warned that members of the public would shun it completely if it was converted into a mouthpiece no different from the government’s Information Services Department.

The RTHK producer speaking anonymously also raised questions as to whether the broadcaster could still fulfil its mission of reflecting people’s voices and exposing societal problems.

“When he has no experience in journalism, does he know what gatekeeping for news and current affairs programmes is? We are very worried that we will avoid any risk and ban programmes that question the government’s authority,” he said.

“Is the government trying to fix our problems, or fix the people who expose the government’s problems?”