PART I
INTRODUCTION
IN April 1959, the number of new radio licences taken out totalled over 40% of the previous yearly increase in licences and, over the whole year, the increase in new licences was the largest since broad- casting began in the Colony in 1928. From the 1st April, 1959 to 31st March, 1960, licences rose from 73,762 to 104,688, an increase of 41.9%.
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2. It would be impossible to single out any one reason for this great increase. Contributory causes are that radio receivers are constantly coming down in price, the ubiquitous transistor set has become the fashion, the wireless licence section of the General Post Office has been greatly strengthened, and the quality and quantity of radio entertain- ment available has improved.
3. In July 1959, Hong Kong radio listeners had a choice of listening to the Chinese Service of Radio Hong Kong, on the air for seventeen hours a day, or the English Service, on the air for approximately nine and a half hours a day in three periods with all day broadcasting at weekends. In August listening opportunities were widened when the Hong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Company came into operation offering seventeen hours a day in Chinese and seventeen in English.
4. In November, a further extension of broadcasting hours was announced when it was decided that with the advent of Radio Hong Kong's VHF/FM transmissions, the English service would be expanded to seventeen hours a day.
5. 1960 will therefore see two all day Chinese and two all day English transmissions on medium wave, with Radio Hong Kong offering its English and Chinese services additionally on high quality VHF/FM transmissions.
6. The VHF/FM station was scheduled to begin operations late in 1959. However an accumulation of petty delays in the delivery of equipment and in building construction at the Mount Gough transmit- ting station, individually trifling but of greater importance in the aggregate, delayed the introduction of the service and by the end of March it was clear that the opening would not take place until 1st June, 1960. By the end of the year under review the aerial mast was complete,
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