demand for variety and improvement in programmes and provided the resources are available to meet this demand, it will be met.
8. This report of the year's work from April 1958 to March 1959 is dealt with under five main headings: The visit of H.R.H. the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Chinese Programme Service; English Pro- gramme Service; Technical Services; Administration and General.
PART II
VISIT OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
9. The outstanding broadcasting event of the year, and in Radio Hong Kong's history, was the visit of H.R.H. the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. In the space of fifty two hours both English and Chinese Services produced nine outside broadcasts. The speech of His Royal Highness from Government House was relayed from Rediffusion on both services.
10. Radio Hong Kong had eleven outside broadcast teams in opera- tion during the period, plus fourteen commentators and almost every aspect of the visit was covered, from the moment H.M. Yacht ‘Britannia' passed Waglan lighthouse to the parting of the escort vessels of the Hong Kong Flotilla from ‘Britannia' as she sailed from Hong Kong.
11. Many weeks of preparation were spent in surveying outside broadcast positions; stands were constructed, additional telephone lines installed; the Royal Navy gave invaluable assistance by providing accommodation for commentators aboard one of the escort vessels, H.M.S. 'Darsham', and exhaustive tests were carried out in order to provide high quality VHF transmission links between ship and shore. The Marine Department likewise gave great assistance by transporting commentators to and from Waglan lighthouse.
12. Soon after dawn on the 6th March, a marine launch left with two commentators for the lighthouse. An hour later, two more com- mentators and technicians with outside broadcast equipment and transmitters boarded H.M.S. 'Darsham' in the Naval Dockyard and sailed with the escort. At the same time, an outside broadcast van with another set of transmission gear left for the Shek O Golf Club where a special reception and relay point had been established to pass com- mentaries from the escort vessels back to Mercury House. At noon, technicians and commentators were in position at Queen's Pier as both services joined the Waglan lighthouse commentators for what was
2
Page 10Page 11