Working All the Angles

For Sam MAN Cheuk-sum, his career started with a dream in secondary school. He wanted to be a disc jockey (DJ)—and he knew early on that he would be good at it.

“When I was in secondary school, I already knew I wanted to go into the entertainment business,” he beams. After reading the book I Want to Be a DJ and observing his sister do her media studies, Man saw an obvious path in front of him.

“At the time, I had no idea what media was really all about. When I did my exams, I gained some exposure to media and communications and became even more interested,” he says.

After taking his HKCEE exams, Man hoped to land a job at a radio station and start his DJ career. He applied to several stations for various positions, including a traffic reporter role. Although he did not initially receive a job offer as a DJ, Man did land a job to be a recording studio controller, which he saw as an opportunity that would move him one step closer towards his ultimate goal.

At the same time, Man had also applied for the Bachelor of Arts programme in Media and Communication at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). A week after he landed his new job, he also received an offer to study full-time at CityU.

“So I found myself facing a real dilemma, what should I do?” he recalls. “Do I give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work at a radio station? Or do I give up this great opportunity to study with one of the best education programmes I’d found–bearing in mind that it was really hard to get into CityU, and I got in!”

Indeed, Man explains that CityU’s Media and Communication course is like no other. Most programmes of its kind tend to be academic by nature and geared towards a career in journalism.

“I was after something a bit different,” he explains, “I wanted to learn about entertainment and what it means to be a good host. I wanted to learn human psychology and what it takes to bring people from all walks of life together into one place and to get the dynamics going between them to get a good show going.”

Doubling Up
In the end, after consulting with his mentors and peers, Man came to the decision to do both, knowing that this would mean sacrificing much of his personal time and sleep. But Man was up for the challenge. Scheduling all his classes in the morning so that he could be a full-time student, he started his full-time job in the late afternoon, working until 1am and only getting to bed in the middle of the night.

Thanks to the support of his peers and several professors, Man was able to balance his studies and career. “It was hard work, but it was definitely the right decision,” he says.

Man was fortunate to have professors who also worked at the radio station. Seeing his commitment to his work and studies, they often drove him to the station a few times a week as they were making their way to work. “I had an incredible amount of support, and I couldn’t have done it without them,” he reflects.

As Man continued his studies, his career also continued to grow. He worked as a weather reporter at a new TV station and then created a demo while living in his university halls, and during his final year at CityU, he landed a job as a host.

“Not only did my dreams finally come true, I managed to keep my role as a university student,” he says.

Of course, Man is the first to admit that the road was not easy and that there were many ups and downs. But he believes that his outlook on life and his past experiences have all contributed to his success in the present.

“I never say I’m successful right now; what I say is that the best is yet to come,” Man explains. Throughout his career, he has learned that if you get a feeling of self-fulfilment quickly, it’s easy to get bored and tired. If you want to keep moving forward, the answer is to push the boundaries and keep challenging yourself. Man believes this is the secret to being happier.

“When I was back at the TV station, I learned one thing that really affected my life: nothing is unresolvable. You just haven’t figured out the solution yet,” he says.

The All-rounder in Media
Man is proud that his role today is not set in stone, and he can wear many hats. Currently, he is well-known in the industry as a highly sought-after emcee and TV host, and he also works as a senior research writer at ViuTV. Arguably, he is most famous for his voice, having done many voice-overs and being featured on radio often.

“What I have learned by now is that if you want something, you really have to fight for it,” Man tells us. “I had to go for it. But of course, sometimes you don’t get it even if you try. It may not be the outcome that you want. Remember, it’s always the journey that counts.”

The way he looks at his career now, Man says that he’s had many different roles and worked in many separate areas. This has given him a more holistic understanding of the entire media industry and its developments. He makes it his mission now to look at projects and find ways to add value to existing content, especially entertainment value.

“Because I’ve been a host on the frontline and I have also worked in the background, I understand what goes on,” he says.

Man credits a lot of his creative processes to the time he spent at CityU, where he learned about the creative thinking process behind television and radio production.

“I learned so much about how different media can create trends, and how the times have changed and the evolution of media in space and time,” he explains. “The one thing I realised is that media reflects what people are thinking during a specific time.”

Man believes the most significant change to the industry has been the creation of truly mass media and that to get messages out and to communicate effectively, brands need multiple channels to spread their word. The one word that sums up the industry, according to him, is “change”.

“For media channel professionals, we can’t rest on our laurels. Everything changes so quickly. The next minute there could be a new media channel, and those who can adjust the fastest and adapt the quickest, those are the ones who will lead the market,” he says.

Man’s advice to others, therefore, is practical. He recommends that people never just think about their goals. While keeping their eye on the prize, they should also examine different angles and ways to reach that goal. Whether it’s success or failure, every single step counts, and eventually, if you try hard enough, you can get to where you want to go.

“Have the confidence and the guts to try what you want to try,” he says. “Don’t see all your tribulations as bad. They are just stepping stones for your own personal growth.”