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PUBLICATIONS, BROADCASTING AND FILMS
for immediate use and for filing for use with stories about Hong Kong in the future.
In all, over 10,000 pictures were distributed overseas and locally during the year, an increase of more than 9,000 over the 1959 figure.
Although the Information Services are primarily concerned with publicizing the affairs of Hong Kong, everything possible is done to promote knowledge of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, and maximum use is made of material supplied by the Central Office of Information, London, for this purpose. The Department's film library, for example, which is stocked by the COI, lent over 2,000 films during the year for commercial showings by clubs, schools and other institutions, and provided Rediffusion Television with a weekly 'Commonwealth Television News' feature.
RADIO HONG KONG
Without doubt the most important development of the year for Radio Hong Kong was the installation of the new Very High Frequency/Frequency Modulation networks for both the-English and Chinese Services. At a ceremony held on 1st June 1960, the Colonial Secretary inaugurated the new transmissions which have resulted in markedly improved reception conditions throughout the difficult terrain which has to be covered.
A special transmitter centre has been built at Mount Gough on Hong Kong Island to house the four 5 KW Marconi type BD 321 B FM transmitters, and the aerials are mounted on a 135 foot self-supporting steel lattice tower capable of withstanding winds of up to 200 miles per hour.
At the same time as the introduction of FM transmissions the hours of the English Service were extended from 8 to 17 hours a day, bringing the English and Chinese Services into line. Both now broadcast from 0700 hours to 2400 hours daily, the English Service on 860 kc/s in the Medium Wave Band and on 91 mc/s FM, and Chinese transmissions on 640 kc/s and 94.0 mc/s FM. There is also a shortwave service of the Chinese programmes on 3940 kc/s (76.14 metres) which is widely used by the fishing fleets. Radio Hong Kong is a Government broadcasting station. The studio centre is in Mercury House, the Far Eastern headquarters