AFTER almost six decades of operation, Hong Kong’s Asian Television shut down at midnight Friday.

    Regarded as the world’s first Chinese-language TV station, ATV ending its 59 years of broadcasting service after struggling with financial problems for the past two years.

    After displaying its final program, a rerun of the “2013 Miss Asia Pageant,” ATV bid farewell to its audience by showing a card on the screen.

    ATV’s officials said the station can find alternative ways to operate, such as providing Internet TV services.

    Pubic Radio Television Hong Kong, which took over ATV’s two analogue channels, launched a television broadcast at 12 p.m. Saturday after ATV ceased its signals.

    Local residents went to ATV’s headquarters in Tai Po on Friday to take pictures and witness the last moment of the broadcaster. “I think the shutdown of ATV is a great loss. It’s full of my childhood memories,” said a local resident.

    Launched in 1957, ATV was a pioneer of entertainment programs in Hong Kong’s broadcasting history.

    At the same time, it cultivated dozens of talents and widely known celebrities, including Leslie Cheung, Kristy Yeung and Rosamund Kwan.

    TVB is now the only TV channel providing free-to-air programs in Hong Kong.

    (SD-Agencies)