PUBLICATIONS, BROADCASTING AND FILMS
277
To strengthen the ties between Hong Kong students in Britain and the Colony, a 'Students' Favourites' programme began in December, in which messages recorded in Hong Kong House by students for their families here were combined with music.
The Chinese Service also held a 'listener week' on the same lines as that of the English Service and it is hoped that listener panels will be established early next year.
The Engineering Division. Additional recording equipment was installed during the year; a small designs unit successfully com- pleted a stereophonic control console, a 'white noise' electronic effects generator (which produces a broadband high frequency oscillation from which the component sounds can be isolated), and a power amplifier for use with a VHF Tink transmitter. These transmitters have enabled broadcast coverage to be given to events where landlines are not available and were used extensively throughout the Colony during the year.
COMMERCIAL RADIO
Commercial Radio, which opened in August 1959, operates one station which broadcasts in English on 1530 Kc/s, and one station in Cantonese on 1050 Kc/s. Each station broadcasts 17 hours daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. Both are powered by 1 KW transmitters and their signals are radiated through a common antenna. The studios, transmitters and antenna are located at Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon.
The station's whole revenue comes from advertisements. Com- mercial airtime is sold by the hour, half-hour, or quarter-hour or by 'spot' announcements lasting from 10 seconds to 60 seconds. Airtime rates for the Chinese transmission vary from $962.50 per hour during peak listening periods to $80.00 for one 10-second 'spot' announcement. For the English transmission, the rates run between $275.00 per hour in the evenings and $10.00 for a 10-second 'spot' announcement.
English Programme Department. 1961 was a year of expansion both from the point of view of business and of programmes. In addition to the usual nightclub relays and sports commentaries, several local singers and musical groups broadcast from the studios. The Birthday Parade of Her Majesty the Queen was covered from