pressure in overcrowded offices, plans were in hand at the end of the year to redesign the Mercury House offices and record libraries; these alterations will relieve, but not solve, the problem. Staff increases have also added to the load on the airconditioning plant and studio ven- tilation in particular is inadequate. This combined with several lengthy breakdowns of the plant during the hottest part of the summer, repaired only just in time to avoid having to close down either certain studios or the programme services, has made necessary the installation of room coolers in offices, thus relieving the plant of part of its load and improving studio conditions.
VISITORS
115. Distinguished visitors during the year were Sir Ian Jacob, Director General of the BBC, and Lady Jacob, and Sir Godfrey Ince, Chairman of Cable and Wireless Ltd. Sir Ian Jacob spent four days in Hong Kong, during which he visited studios, transmitting and receiving stations, met every member of the staff and held official discussions on broadcasting matters of mutual interest to the Hong Kong Government and the BBC. Sir Godfrey Ince visited Radio Hong Kong installations and met technical staff, Mr. H. R. Howse, the newly appointed BBC Chinese Programme Organizer, also visited Hong Kong in the autumn and held useful discussions.
NEWS SERVICES
116. The preparation of world and local news bulletins is the responsibility of the Public Relations Office. World news coverage is given by bulletins produced in Hong Kong and bulletins relayed from the General Overseas Service and Far Eastern Service of the BBC.
WEATHER REPORTS
117. Weather reports are supplied by the Royal Observatory and take the form of general situation reports for shipping and local area forecasts, broadcast in English and all Chinese languages. Special arrangements are made to cover typhoons, information being broadcast hourly in both languages, throughout the twenty-four hours.
RELATIONS WITH OTHER BROADCASTING ORGANIZATIONS
British Broadcasting Corporation
118. The BBC Transcription Service remains invaluable, providing a constant flow of high quality programmes of all types. In addition to English programmes, a small number of Cantonese programmes are
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