COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA
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all channels so that apart from being an entertainment station, Commercial Radio has also strengthened its current affairs programmes. This change resulted in an increase of educated upper-income listeners.
Commercial Radio continued its active role in fund raising for charity as well as increasing its public service commitment. The news department has stationed correspond- ents in major cities of the world, and the station sent a team to Korea for the Olympics' coverage. All stations were involved in several large-scale campaigns, both in the studios and on location. Of particular interest were 'Famine 30' in aid of third world countries. Other concerns which benefited were private hospitals, the blind and the disabled. Summer youth programmes were organised for the government, and a 'Courtesy Campaign' was jointly organised with the MTR. The AIDS Campaign on the English Channel was internationally recognised by reaching the finals in the prestigious CLIO and International Radio Festival of New York Award Show. One of the spots was awarded a Gold Medal in its category. A current affairs programme also reached the finals in its category.
The British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) is part of the radio division of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation, a world-wide organisation providing entertain- ment, information and training films, video, television and radio services for the British Forces, under contract to the Ministry of Defence.
BFBS provides two radio services designed for the particular needs of the Gurkha and British Forces serving in Hong Kong, Brunei and Nepal.
Nepali programmes, broadcast for 90 hours each week, cater for the interests of the Brigade of Gurkhas, providing music and features reflecting daily life in Nepal, Nepalese and world news, news reviews, quiz shows and audience participation phone-
programmes.
in
The English-language service broadcasts 24 hours a day. The lunchtime show originates from the BFBS Studio in HMS Tamar, with the rest of broadcasting coming from the main studio complex in Sek Kong in the New Territories.
The BFBS satellite news service has enabled BFBS to broadcast BBC Radio Four's 'The World This Weekend' and BBC Radio Two's 'Sport on Two' live to their listeners in Hong Kong, as well as hourly bulletins of home and international news and sport.
About 40 hours each week is provided by the BFBS Production Centre in London, which keeps listeners in touch with home and provides specialist programmes involving many of Britain's premier broadcasting personalities.
Film Industry
Despite the increasing popularity of video clubs and the widespread ownership of video cassette recorders, cinema-going remained a popular leisure activity. Cinema attendance in 1988 totalled 66 million, compared with about 67 million in 1987. Continuing the trend over the last few years, the number of cinemas in Hong Kong increased from 115 in 1987 to 133 this year. These new cinemas are in general smaller and some comprise several cinemas within the same building.
While imported films continue to be popular, good quality local films are still favoured by most cinema patrons. Locally-produced films totalled 139 (including four co-productions with other territories), compared with 110 (including eight co-productions) in 1987. The trend of making locally-produced films in Cantonese rather than Mandarin continued. Action films and comedies continued to dominate the market. The biggest box-office hits for the year included The Eighth Happiness which grossed $37.1 million; Police Story II