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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Chinese Service. Whilst the general pattern of the Chinese service remained unchanged since the service was expanded in May 1957, several new programmes were introduced.
The main design of the pattern is a Cantonese service in which all forms of broadcasting are included, and running through this main design is a limited number of programmes in Hong Kong's minority languages, Kuoyü, Chiuchow and Hakka. News bulletins are broadcast in all three languages; plays, opera and music programmes in Chiuchow and Kuoyü, and story-telling in Kuoyü. English by Radio lessons produced by the B.B.C. are broadcast in Cantonese and Kuoyü, and Kuoyü By Radio lessons produced by Radio Hong Kong are broadcast in Cantonese.
The audience survey conducted by Radio Hong Kong in December 1957 demonstrated that among the programmes with the largest audiences are those which reflect the life of the people of the Colony, in both urban and rural areas, and those in which the people take part as entertainers. In the fields of entertainment, drama, features and outside broadcasts, therefore, increasing emphasis was placed on these types of programme.
An entirely new venture in the entertainment field was the production of a series of variety programmes which in form were very similar to the music hall variety shows of both stage and radio in Britain. Professional singers and actors took part, together with newly discovered comedians and singing acts. The pro- grammes were produced in school halls and regularly drew audiences of a thousand people.
Two variety shows were 'on the road' during the year; the well-established 'Workers Playtime', produced from a different factory or industrial establishment each week, was joined by 'Happy Farmers', a similar show produced in the towns and villages of the New Territories.
'Beginners Please', the amateur variety contest started in 1957, ran for eight series and drew capacity audiences at every per- formance.
Musical tastes now appear to have clarified in a rather dramatic fashion among Chinese listeners in Hong Kong. The older genera- tion still wants the traditional operas, the instrumental recitals of Chinese music, and the long Cantonese ballad songs, whilst the