tion at the end of the year but, again, the absence of a suitable scriptwriter was a serious drawback.
OUTSIDE BROADCASTS
52. The most complex outside broadcast commitment of Radio Hong Kong's history, the visit of H.R.H. the Prince Philip, has already been dealt with in paragraphs 9-21. Another major task, in itself as complex, was the broadcast arranged for the opening of the new runway at Kai Tak on the 12th September. The area covered by the ceremony was vast; speeches by H.E. The Governor and the Director of Civil Aviation had to be picked up, commentators able to describe the opening ceremony proper were not physically able to describe the flypast which followed and the producer, who also had to be able to see the flypast, had to be accommodated in the old Control Tower, over a mile from the beginning of the new runway. The producer controlled his technicians and commentators by a separate control system, miles of microphone cable and telephone line connected the microphone points, but the result was a fast moving sound panorama of an event which itself was superbly stage-managed.
53. Outside broadcasts which a few years ago were considered major undertakings, such as the various parades and reviews, have now become routine tasks easily handled. Seven weekly programmes were based wholly or partly on outside broadcasts, these being Workers Playtime, Topical Events, Down Your Way, Sports Cavalcade, Farmers Programme, Happy Farmers and Movie Magazine. Workers Playtime has now visited sixty factories.
SPORT
54. Adequate coverage of great international sporting events, par- ticularly where Colony sportsmen are competitors, in only possible if staff commentators actually attend the event, and if facilities are available to enable them to get their reports, commentaries and interviews back to Hong Kong with the minimum of delay. Both these conditions were fulfilled in May, when the Chinese sports com- mentator flew to Tokyo to cover the Asian Games. NHK, Japan's national broadcasting organization, provided excellent technical fa- cilities, including the use of two high power shortwave transmitters for half an hour each evening, which the commentator used to broadcast reports for direct pickup at the Mount Butler receiving station for rebroadcast in the Chinese Service. Listeners to Radio Hong Kong
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