Radio Drama Creation and the Development and Training of Related Industries

Hong Kong once experienced the burgeoning era of radio drama that lasted for decades; in the mainland of China, as radio drama can be easily produced, it became a vital channel of dissemination for the young country after its establishment in 1949 and has had long-lasting influences since then. However, the number of radio dramas produced in Hong Kong has dropped significantly in recent years due to the rise of Internet entertainment and a popular tendency to opt for online leisure activities. Audiobooks and audio creation have developed rapidly in recent years in the mainland and Taiwan. To illustrate the huge development potential of the radio drama industry, this article will analyse the radio drama industry of the mainland and Taiwan, particularly the expeditious development of audiobooks and audio creation. In addition, the "Radio Drama Creation" course in the curriculum of the program Creative Writing and Film Art at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (formerly The Open University of Hong Kong) will serve as an example to illustrate how creative writing education can be reformed in line with the development trend of cultural and creative industries and how it can cultivate talents of the next generation who devote themselves into this promising writing industry.