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Publications, Broadcasting and Films
PRESS
THROUGHOUT 1963 newspapers in Hong Kong continued to increase in vigour and variety. The Colony now supports no less than 47 daily newspapers covering almost every shade of political opinion. Another 27 are published once or twice a week. There are three English-language daily newspapers, the South China Morning Post and its afternoon companion the China Mail, and the Hong Kong Tiger Standard. The South China Morning Post, Ltd, also publishes the weekly Sunday Post-Herald. The over- whelming majority of the Colony's newspapers are published in the Chinese language. Some of the leading Chinese and English publications, including the magazine press, are listed at Appen- dix XI.
A new development during the year has been the appearance of a number of bilingual newspapers. Until now the only news- paper maintaining this style of presentation has been the Daily Commodity Quotations which caters, as its name implies, for the special interests of the trading community. Within the year three newspapers, two weekly and one daily, appeared carrying Chinese and English versions of news items side-by-side. One of the week- lies subsequently ceased publication. While the impetus for this new form of presentation comes in the first place from an eagerness to learn English, the use of up-to-date news as a vehicle suggests that the bilingual style may become a permanent feature of the local press. Already some of these bilingual newspapers have established substantial circulations.
But it is not only in numbers that this steady development has been maintained in the Chinese newspaper business. Among new printing plant installed in newspaper offices during the year were modern high-speed colour presses for one of the leading colour newspapers. One or two major newspaper groups have recently made, or are contemplating making moves to new premises and