Channel C addresses accusation on 'stealing' videos from former Apple Daily

Local online media Channel C has apologised for not informing former Apple Daily employees over an accusation of "stealing" editorial materials from Apple Daily on a news video.

On 16 June 2022, Channel C explained the whole incident in a video live, claiming that the idea was first initiated in 2019 by four former Apple Daily employees. However the story was still unpublished until the day Apple Daily shut its doors, leaving behind the interviews and raw footages.

Channel C said in the livestream video that two of the co-authors of the tattoo story then switched to Channel C, one of them was responsible for filming most of the footage for the story back at Apple Daily, and he decided to run the story amid the public safety concerns over the tattoo incident.

In the video, Channel C also explained that it sought the approval and consent of all interviewees including Master Au and the tattoo artists featured in the story, and insisted that their staff is the original owner of most of the footages, therefore Channel C denied the accusations of "stealing" videos from Apple Daily. However, Channel C apologised for not seeking consent from the other two former Apple Daily employees who took part in the production of the story, adding: “歡迎香港蘋果日報公司代表揾我哋處理呢件事（Apple Daily HK’s representitive is welcome to find us to deal with the matter”.

The statement has caused queries and public outcry with some netizens commenting that Apple Daily HK is long gone and the irresponsibility of Channel C.         

Established by five former Apple Daily employees last year, Channel C said it aims to deliver the latest trends and news in video formats. On 14 May 2022, the media revealed that a number of consumers felt unwell after being applied tattoos by Gwing Gwing, a tattoo master, some of them were suspected of having HPV, according to news reports. The news story also interviewed an experienced tattoo master to comment on the incident.

Later on 14 June 2022, Channel C further published investigative reports on the regulations of the tattoo industry, along with an interview of Master Au and three tattoo artists. A check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE on the social media platforms confirmed that the publication of the series of news stories has triggered public outcry on whether the story was original or just another example of infringement.

The platform has over 100K followers on Facebook. Some of its advertisers include AIA, Sanrio, Foxwin, Germagic and Eombuy.

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