Oriental Press Group
A Hong Kong Chinese-language newspaper publishing group best known for Oriental Daily News and its on.cc digital news service.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Oriental Press Group is a Hong Kong newspaper publishing group whose principal publishing asset is Oriental Daily News, one of the territory's major Chinese-language newspapers. The group has operated under several corporate names, including Oriental Press Group Limited, Oriental Enterprise Holdings Limited and Oriental Media Group Limited. Its business has historically combined newspaper publishing, digital news distribution and magazine publishing. The company was incorporated on 14 January 1969 and began publishing Oriental Daily News on 22 January of that year. The newspaper became the group's defining title and established a position in Hong Kong's competitive Cantonese- and Chinese-language newspaper market. Its principal newspaper competitors have included Apple Daily and other local Chinese-language publications. The group was admitted to trading on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 18 August 1987, making it one of Hong Kong's listed newspaper publishing companies. Family control has been an important feature of the group's history. Ma Shek-chun founded the company, and his son Ma Ching-kwan took over operational responsibility in 1977. The reference material identifies Ma Ching-fat as chairman and Ma Ching-choi as vice-chairman, although the available material does not provide a complete current management roster or clarify the precise status of every corporate title. The group expanded beyond its flagship newspaper by launching additional print titles. The Sun, a Traditional Chinese newspaper, was founded in 1999 but was later discontinued. Eastern Express, an English-language newspaper, was also launched and subsequently folded. The group additionally established magazines using the East or Oriental naming theme, including East Week, Oriental Sunday and East Touch. These magazine assets were sold between 2001 and 2002 to companies associated with Emperor Group or Sing Tao Holdings; some titles continued under other ownership. Digital publishing became another part of the group's operations. In 2000, the company launched the on.cc news website, initially associated with the orisun.com address. The service provided online versions of Oriental Daily News through the orientaldaily.on.cc subdomain and at times offered streaming video news. This move extended the group's newspaper brand into web-based news distribution while retaining the newspaper as its core identity. Oriental Press Group is therefore best understood as a Hong Kong media company built around a mass-market Chinese-language newspaper, with earlier diversification into English-language newspapers, magazines and online news. The available sources confirm the continuing association of the group with Oriental Daily News and on.cc, but do not provide sufficient information to state its current revenue, circulation, market share, exact ownership structure or detailed corporate organization.
History
Oriental Press Group's history is closely connected with the development of Oriental Daily News. The company was incorporated in Hong Kong on 14 January 1969 and began publishing the newspaper on 22 January of the same year. Founded by Ma Shek-chun, the business developed around a Chinese-language newspaper serving Hong Kong's highly competitive print-media market. The newspaper's Cantonese-oriented market and mass circulation profile helped make it the central asset of the group. Leadership later passed within the founding family. Ma Ching-kwan, the founder's son, took over operational responsibility in 1977. The available reference material describes this succession as an important stage in the company's development, although it does not provide a full chronology of management changes. The group subsequently expanded its corporate presence and was listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 18 August 1987. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the company broadened its portfolio beyond Oriental Daily News. It established The Sun in 1999 as a Traditional Chinese newspaper and also launched Eastern Express as an English-language title. Both newspapers were later discontinued. The group also founded magazines including East Week, Oriental Sunday and East Touch. These publications extended the company's reach into entertainment, lifestyle and general-interest magazine categories, but the titles were sold between 2001 and 2002 to businesses associated with Emperor Group or Sing Tao Holdings. Some continued to be published under their subsequent owners. The group entered online news publishing in 2000 with the launch of on.cc, initially linked to the orisun.com web address. The website offered online access to Oriental Daily News through a dedicated subdomain and occasionally distributed video news. The digital service gave the group a web presence while preserving the newspaper as its principal editorial and commercial brand. The company has used multiple corporate names over time. Reference material identifies Oriental Press Group Limited and Oriental Enterprise Holdings Limited as earlier names and Oriental Media Group Limited as the later corporate designation. The available sources also identify Ma Ching-fat as chairman and Ma Ching-choi as vice-chairman. They do not establish a complete current ownership chart, financial profile or detailed account of the group's operations beyond its association with Oriental Daily News and on.cc. Consequently, the best-supported history presents Oriental Press Group as a family-linked, listed Hong Kong newspaper publisher that diversified into magazines and digital news before concentrating its identifiable public profile around its core newspaper and online news activities.
- 2001
Magazine divestments begin
[1]The group began selling its magazine titles, including East Week, Oriental Sunday and East Touch, in transactions continuing into 2002.
- 2000
on.cc launched
[1]The group entered online news publishing with on.cc, initially associated with the orisun.com address.
- 1999
The Sun launched
[1]The group founded The Sun as a Traditional Chinese newspaper; the title was later discontinued.
- 1987
Stock Exchange listing
[1]The company's shares began trading on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 18 August.
- 1977
Ma Ching-kwan assumes operational leadership
[1]Ma Ching-kwan, son of founder Ma Shek-chun, took over operation of the company.
- 1969
Company incorporated and Oriental Daily News launched
[1]The company was incorporated on 14 January 1969 and began publishing Oriental Daily News on 22 January.
Products and positioning
A major Hong Kong Chinese-language newspaper and digital news publisher
Chinese-language newspaper · 1969
Oriental Daily News
Oriental Daily News is the group's flagship and enduring newspaper title. Launched in January 1969, it became one of Hong Kong's major Chinese-language newspapers and the central publication around which the wider group was built. Its online edition has also been distributed through the group's digital news service.
Digital news service · 2000
on.cc
on.cc is the group's online news operation, launched in 2000. It has provided web-based access to Oriental Daily News through the orientaldaily.on.cc subdomain and has periodically offered streaming video news. The service represents the group's principal documented digital publishing activity.
Chinese-language newspaper · 1999
The Sun
The Sun was a Traditional Chinese newspaper founded by the group in 1999. It formed part of the company's attempt to broaden its newspaper portfolio, but the publication was later folded.
English-language newspaper
Eastern Express
Eastern Express was an English-language newspaper established by the group. It was intended to complement the company's Chinese-language newspaper operations, but the title was subsequently discontinued.
Magazine
East Week
East Week was one of the magazines founded by the group under its East or Oriental naming family. The magazine was among the titles sold during the group's magazine divestments between 2001 and 2002.
Magazine
Oriental Sunday
Oriental Sunday was a magazine founded by the group as part of its expansion into magazine publishing. It was sold between 2001 and 2002 and subsequently continued, if at all, under other ownership.
Magazine
East Touch
East Touch was another magazine created under the group's East-branded publishing portfolio. Like the group's other named magazines, it was sold during the 2001–2002 divestment period.
Controversies
1970
Founder wanted by Hong Kong police
Reference material states that founder Ma Shek-chun fled to Taiwan in the 1970s as a crime suspect and was wanted by the Hong Kong Police Force for more than 30 years. The available source does not provide sufficient detail about the allegations, proceedings or their eventual legal outcome.
Brand decisions
2001
Divestment of magazine portfolioStrategyBackground
After establishing a group of magazines under the East or Oriental naming theme, the company changed its portfolio strategy.
Action taken
It sold East Week, Oriental Sunday and East Touch between 2001 and 2002 to businesses associated with Emperor Group or Sing Tao Holdings.
Aftermath
Some of the titles continued under other companies, while the group returned greater focus to its newspaper and digital news activities.
2000
Move into online news with on.ccProduct launchBackground
The group sought to extend its newspaper publishing operation into internet distribution.
Action taken
It launched on.cc, providing online versions of Oriental Daily News and occasional streaming video news.
Aftermath
The website became the group's identifiable digital news operation.
1999
Launch of The SunProduct launchBackground
The group expanded its newspaper portfolio beyond Oriental Daily News during a period of strong competition in Hong Kong's newspaper market.
Action taken
It founded The Sun as a Traditional Chinese newspaper.
Aftermath
The title was later discontinued.
Sources2 sources
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