A Hong Kong television company behind the annual Miss Asia beauty contest has admitted the final outcome did not match the real tally of public votes, a local newspaper reported Tuesday.
The 2008 Miss Asia champion Eunis Yao reacts after winning the honor at the finals of the 2008 Miss Asia pageant in Hong Kong on December 7, 2008.
The Miss Asia Pageant held earlier this month used public voting for the first time in its 20-year history, instead of the traditional panel of judges, and people sent in their choice via text message and on the Internet.
Last year, the BBC was forced to suspend several members of staff after it admitted fixing the winners of phone-ins and interactive competitions on six shows including charity appeals and children's programmes.
The embarrassment for ATV comes amid a leadership flap, as Cheung said the company's controversial chief executive Ricky Wong had resigned.
However, Wong insisted a few hours later that he had not resigned and had not been notified of any such developments, the Post said.
