264
PUBLICATIONS, BROADCASTING AND FILMS
visitors called on the Department. Besides the briefings and tours to different parts of the Colony, the Department also provided all press inquirers with factual written material, pictures, maps and illustrations of every kind. Cuttings which were subsequently received showed that the majority of those who had received such assistance had been favourably impressed by the way Hong Kong is tackling her problems, and had so reported to readers and audiences adding up to many millions of people.
The Department's activities reached their peak during the visit to Hong Kong of HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent in November, the Department being responsible for all official press arrangements during the 12-day visit, including the provision of special facilities for film-makers, photographers, reporters and broadcasters. It was the biggest operation of its kind ever undertaken by the Govern- ment Information Services and the facilities made available to the Press included not only special stands and towers for reporters and photographers at key-points, but the provision of film lighting equipment—including in one case a heavy duty floating generator -so that both still photographers and film-makers, including a visiting Pathé newsreel team who were filming in colour, could obtain adequate coverage of all main activities. Frequently, local press representatives, visiting correspondents and resident foreign correspondents combined to form a press entourage of nearly 100 people, and at ceremonies held indoors and other places where space was limited, the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong and the Department co-operated in providing photographic 'pool' arrange- ments to ensure that photographs were freely available to all news- papers and agencies. In every medium-press, broadcasting, tele- vision and films-in Hong Kong, Great Britain and elsewhere the visit received the widest publicity. Press material and photographs produced by the Department received prominent space in both local and overseas publications. Newsreels made by the Department's Film Unit and distributed through Central Office of Information, London, were used by the BBC, Independent Television and major distributors in Britain and other countries as soon as received, and a composite 20-minute black and white film record of the entire visit subsequently produced by the Unit was released at the begin- ning of December for distribution commercially throughout south- east Asian countries with English, Mandarin and Cantonese