18
PROGRESS
public, under the direction of a senior police officer. This unit began a busy life: within the first six months it had answered 12,000 enquiries, put out 1,500 press releases, introduced many police officers and their work to radio and television audiences and arranged for 10,000 school children to visit police stations.
The Information Services Department put out more press releases, in both Chinese and English. More pamphlets, posters and window displays were prepared to illustrate particular events or policies. In December, Government's colourful and informative stand at the annual Chinese Manufacturers' Association Exhibition drew the interest of over a million visitors. But apart from such 'outdoor' means of passing information to keenly-interested residents, in- creasing attention was paid to the medium of television. During 1968 the number of television sets in people's homes more than doubled. It is possible for a million people to 'look and listen' any night. The main reason for this was the rapid initial growth of the second two-channel service by broadcast transmission which began towards the end of 1967. Nearly a quarter of a million homes had TV sets by the end of the year. In addition, many public TV sets were installed in parks and playgrounds in the urban areas and in many villages in the New Territories. These public sets regularly attracted and entertained quite large groups of spectators, thus providing an appropriate reward for the generous presentation of money by an anonymous donor and the work of the armed services which made the installation possible. Because of the rapidly-growing popularity and use of television Government decided to establish a Public Affairs Television Unit. This unit, which is expected to become operational in 1969, will produce television features and inserts, projecting and explaining government policies and activities for transmission within the normal programme schedules of the two commercial television companies. This, together with all the many other outlets for communication and discussion between the people and the Government, should make it much easier for every- one to know readily what is happening in the fast-moving society of Hong Kong.
LOOKING FORWARD
This review has dwelt mainly on the achievements of 1968. If this creates an impression of an unmitigated success story then it