There will be no ceremony for the Global Chinese Music Awards this year, its organizer has said, citing financial reasons.

Hong Kong radio host Chow Kwok-Fung, who represents the local organizing committee for the awards, said the decision was made after taking into account the fact that member stations had been spending large portions of their budgets on quake benefits.

Instead, honorees will be announced at a press conference scheduled for October 29 in Hong Kong and Taipei.

The annual awards honor chart-toppers on seven major music radios in Asia. They include Radio Television Hong Kong, Hit FM (Taipei), East Radio Station (Shanghai), Music FM (Guangdong Province), Music Radio (Beijing), Y.E.S. 93.3 FM (Singapore) and Star RFM 988 (Malaysia).

According to Chow, the award ceremony would cost at least one million Hong Kong dollars, which could be better used to benefit quake victims.

(CRI September 4, 2008)