Plans to move Hong Kong’s public broadcaster RTHK to new purpose built studios in the New Territories have been criticised as too expensive.

In an opinion piece in the South China Morning Post on Thursday, former legislator and media owner Albert Cheng hit out at the spiralling costs of the move, which he says have risen from US$206 million (HK$1.6 billion) four years ago to the present S787 million (HK$6.1 billion).

Cheng, co-founder of Digital Broadcasting Corporation Hong Kong (DBC) which runs seven DAB radio channels, called on legislators to reject the spend.

He said the project wasn’t “good value” and was a “waste of public funds”.

In the article, Cheng said the bill would be three to four times higher than other broadcasters spent on new studios over the past decade.

The planned move will see the radio and TV broadcaster move out of its current premises in Kowloon Tong, as well as several other buildings.

New Broadcasting House will be located in Tsueng Kwang O in the New Territories, taking up an area of about 30,600 m2.

It is hoped construction on the new facility will start next year and be fully operational by 2018.