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Over the past few years Hong Kong people have become more politically aware and the company has kept in step with these developments. Commercial Radio's news coverage has been extended on all stations with reporters going to China as a matter of course to send back exclusive reports on Basic Law sessions, the People's Congress and other matters concerning Hong Kong. In addition to this coverage, stringers under exclusive contracts to Commercial Radio are based in twenty-three countries. The expenditure for News and Public Affairs for the last financial year amounted to 30.87% of Commercial Radio's programme expenditure, a not insignificant sum in view of the fact that programmes under this category bring in no revenue. A recent Chinese Current Affairs programme produced and broadcast by Commercial Radio was specially commended at the 1988 General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union.
The Company operates three programme services, two in Chinese (CRI and CRII) and one in English (CRE). All three stations disseminate news every thirty minutes throughout the broadcast day (twenty-four hours on the Chinese stations and nineteen on English) with major newscasts at breakfast, lunch and early evening. These services have been initiated by Commercial Radio as a public service as there is no such requirement under the Company's Licence, and they are offered in strict adherence to the Radio Codes of Practice of accuracy and impartiality in the presentation of News.
Commercial Radio is an active supporter of local arts and culture. In the past, the Company subsidized and broadcast the Philharmonic Orchestra in its amateur days. It also supported the Youth Orchestra in its amateur days. It was the first private Company to donate a scholarship to the Schools of Music Association Festival and is still doing so today. In the years before Educational Television, radio classes were held to help students with their examinations. Also at that time the Company's on-going