Hong Kong – In a rare professional pivot, acclaimed actor Lam Ka-Tung stepped out from in front of the camera and into the host’s chair this week, turning the tables on a seasoned media executive for a special anniversary broadcast. The result was an intimate and unexpectedly revealing conversation that traced the arc of Hong Kong journalism over nearly half a century.
Lam, a veteran of Hong Kong cinema and television, recently took on the role of presenter for “Mission 35,” a limited-run program celebrating the 35th anniversary of Metro Broadcast. For the show’s debut, he invited a guest with whom he shares a long, but largely private, friendship: Kwok Yim-ming, the Chief Operating Officer and Editor-in-Chief of Metro Broadcast.
Opening the segment, Lam playfully introduced Kwok as a woman of considerable weight in the industry. Kwok, known for her diminutive stature, shot back with a laugh that she barely tips the scales at 100 pounds. Lam promptly christened her “Little Chili Pepper,” setting a tone of playful candor that persisted throughout the interview.
The conversation, however, quickly moved from banter to substance. Reflecting on her 47 years in the business, Kwok noted a fundamental shift in the media landscape. She credited technological advances with accelerating the flow of information, asserting that Hong Kong audiences now possess a more nuanced and three-dimensional understanding of mainland China. Lam quipped that Kwok’s generation of journalists, marked by professionalism and decorum, had sadly missed the era of the “news babe,” forfeiting their chance at instant fame.
The pair then explored the emotional toll of working under the studio lights. Lam, who faces cameras daily as an actor, drew parallels between performing drama and delivering news. Kwok recalled a painful memory of watching a colleague break down while reporting the death of a staff member stationed in Macau. While professionalism demands composure, she acknowledged that the constant exposure to tragedy requires a personal coping mechanism. “I don’t see things in black and white,” Kwok said. “There’s a middle ground.” She revealed that she had not studied journalism but holds a degree in economics; her career began as a print reporter at the Hong Kong Economic Journal before a part-time gig reading morning financial news for RTV.
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Lam opened up about his childhood in the Rennie’s Mill squatter area. He described a lingering trauma associated with instant noodles, recalling how his father’s failed food business left their home piled high with stock the family was forced to consume. He also lamented the loss of community trust he experienced after entering showbiz. Lam now frequently visits schools to encourage students, warning against self-pity and emphasizing that success today relies less on formal qualifications and more on intelligence and creativity. “It’s no longer an era that purely demands academic credentials,” he said. “It demands a brain.”
When asked about his own career, Lam credited mentors such as Zeng Lizhen, Andy Lau, and the late Patrick Tse. He argued that luck is as vital as hard work, and that established paths laid by predecessors must be protected. Kwok expressed concern about a potential talent gap in the industry, while Lam offered blunt advice to newcomers: “If you want to know what the future looks like, you have to look at what you can do today. If you can’t do it today, there is no point talking about tomorrow.” Kwok nodded in agreement, summing up the sentiment with a single word: “Karma.”
The interview, airing as part of Metro Broadcast’s anniversary series, offers a rare glimpse into the human side of two public figures and the changing rhythms of a city’s fourth estate. With newsrooms facing digital disruption and generational change, the conversation serves as a reminder that resilience and perspective remain the industry’s most valuable assets.
