Cheung Man Sun
張文新
Class of 1971 - Founder of the Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award
1971屆畢業 — 十大中文金曲始創父
Cheung Man Sun graduated from sixth form at St. Paul’s College in 1973. He is a respected broadcaster for Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). Cheung created the Chinese Pop Chart and the Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award, and came up with the name ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ for Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, and Leon Lai. He left an indelible mark on the city’s music scene.
Hailing from Sheung Shui, Cheung entered St. Paul’s in 1966. It was not easy at first: the three-hour commute to Bonham Road plus switching to an English-language school was a recipe for stress, but Cheung eventually found within the College’s permissive culture the confidence to adapt; he even won a scholarship. However, by his third year, his family finances almost forced him to drop out. Upon hearing of this, Cheung’s class teacher bought his textbooks post-haste and went to Sheung Shui herself, convincing Cheung’s father to reconsider. In retrospect, Cheung says this changed his life forever.
Cheung initially joined the RTHK as a reporter and assistant for its early phone-in programmes, lending a voice to the city’s grassroots. He began disc jockeying in 1975 and was also briefly an immigration officer. From the 1980s, Cheung moved to programme management, eventually heading RTHK’s Chinese radio service and serving as assistant broadcasting director before retiring in 2013. His programmes have consistently led ratings and have won awards at home and abroad.
Click here for an interview with Cheung, specially prepared as part of this exhibition.