PART I
INTRODUCTION
THE year under review was one in which Radio Hong Kong made considerable advances in both programme and technical fields. The most important development was the introduction of Very High Frequency/Frequency Modulation networks for both the English and Chinese Services.
2. At a ceremony held on 1st June, 1960 the Hon. Colonial Secretary Mr. C. B. BURGESS, C.M.G., O.B.E., inaugurated the new transmissions. These have resulted in improved reception conditions throughout the Colony. The uneven topography of Hong Kong makes medium wave propagation unsatisfactory in many areas, and the FM Services are a considerable benefit to those listeners who are not able to receive medium wave broadcasting clearly.
3. The new VHF/FM Station is sited at Mount Gough on Hong Kong Island. It consists of four five-kilowatt Marconi type BD 321 B FM transmitters. The aerials are mounted on a 135 foot self-supporting steel lattice tower which is capable of withstanding wind speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Under normal circumstances the transmitters are unmanned.
4. The introduction of the VHF/FM Services brought with them problems for both the technical and programme staffs. A higher degree of efficiency is now demanded for microphones and acoustic performance of studios, and new and more exacting standards are required, particu- larly for music. Gramophone records, for example, have had to be more carefully scrutinized for quality and clarity. The decision to separate the FM and Medium Wave transmissions of the English Service at certain times of the week has, moreover, made possible broadcasts of longer classical works in full on the VHF network whilst maintaining more general programmes on the MW Service. This development has been widely welcomed by listeners.
5. At the same time as the introduction of the VHF/FM Services, the transmission of the English Service was extended from 8 to 17 hours per day. Both the English and Chinese Services now broadcast from 0700 hours to 2400 hours on each day of the week. The English
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