120. For the first time a programme of staff training was carried out within the department. There was no staff available for full time training work and the courses of lectures and demonstrations were given by senior programme and technical staff.
121. The aim of the course was to give newly recruited programme staff as sound a knowledge of the fundamental principles of all aspects of broadcasting work as could be managed with the resources available.
122. Starting with explanations and demonstrations of sound waves, the course went on to deal with acoustics and studio design, microphones, control equipment, and recorders. Lectures were given on play and feature production, news reading, talks and presentation. The lecturers were the Controller of Broadcasting, the Broadcasting Engineer, and the two Senior Programme Assistants; a lecture on publicity was given by the Public Relations Officer.
NEWS SERVICES
123. The preparation of world and local news bulletins remained the responsibility of the Public Relations Officer, whose editorial staff produced over two thousand bulletins during the year. World news coverage is given both by bulletins produced in Hong Kong and by relays of bulletins from the General Overseas Service and the Far Eastern Service of the B.B.C.
124. Two news bulletins, a news commentary, a bulletin of Home News from Britain and Radio Newsreel are relayed daily from the General Overseas Service in English, and one Cantonese and one Kuoyü bulletin are relayed daily from the Chinese Section of the Far Eastern Service. Local news material additional to that contained in bulletins is broadcast in one weekly English and one Cantonese magazine programme,
CHARITABLE APPEALS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
125. Appeals for charity were broadcast by 22 organizations in the Colony and announcements were made on behalf of several Government departments. The typhoon season in particular brings a heavy crop of such announcements with the closing down of schools and other institutions, the cessation of public transport services and the cancellation of events.
24