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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1980
HEAD OF THE ENGLISH PROGRAMME SERVICE, MR WARREN ROOKE, SAID THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF 24-HOUR BROADCASTING WILL BE THE STATION'S ABILITY TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS NEWS SERVICE.
+FOR SOME TIME NOW WE HAVE HAD THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO, AND APRIL SEEMS A GOOD TIME TO START THE NEW SERVICE,
+ IN THE PAST RTHK HAS ONLY STAYED OPEN ALL NIGHT IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY OR DURING TYPHOONS WHEN IT HAS BEEN OUR DUTY TO KEEP THE POPULATION FULLY INFORMED.+
MR ROOKE SAID THE GOVERNMENT STATION LOOKED ON THE EXTENSION OF HOURS AS A PUBLIC SERVICE. THE DECISION WAS BASED ON A COMBINATION OF DEMAND AND ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE RATHER THAN EXPENSIVE OR TIME CONSUMING SURVEYS. PREVIOUSLY BOTH THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH CHANNELS BROADCAST TILL 3 AM AND THE SERVICE WAS WELCOMED. THE STATION RECEIVED A FLOOD OF LETTERS WHEN IT CUT HOURS BACK TO A 1 AM CLOSE BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CLIMATE AT THAT TIME.
BOTH THE CHINESE AND ENGLISH SERVICE WILL RECRUIT ONE ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCER TO COVER THE OVERNIGHT SHIFT. THE REMAINDER OF THE EFFORT WILL BE PROVIDED BY STAFF ALREADY WITH THE STATION. INITIALLY THE OVERNIGHT SERVICE WILL STAY WITH NEWS AND LIGHT MUSIC FORMAT TOGETHER WITH WEATHER REPORTS. THERE IS HOWEVER THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING LATE NIGHT DISCUSSION PROGRAMMES AND EVEN JOINING UP WITH THE EBC WORLD SERVICE FOR UP TO THE MINUTE REPORTS AND SPORTS COVERAGE.
PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR JANUARY 1980
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THE VALUE OF TOTAL EXPORTS FOR JANUARY THIS YEAR WAS $7 044 MILLION, MADE UP OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS AT $4 997 MILLION AND RE-EXPORTS AT $2 047 MILLION, ACCORDING TO PROVISIONAL TRADE FIGURES FOR THE MONTH RELEASED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT TODAY (MONDAY).
WITH IMPORTS AT $8 132 MILLION, THE VISIBLE TRADE DEFICIT FOR JANUARY WAS $1 088 MILLION.
COMPARED WITH JANUARY 1979, THE FOLLOWING INCREASES BY VALUE WERE RECORDED: $1 180 MILLION OR 31 PER CENT IN DOMESTIC EXPORTS= $736 MILLION OR 56 PER CENT IN RE-EXPORTS- $1 916 MILLION OR 37 PER CENT IN TOTAL EXPORTS AND $2 775 MILLION OR 52 PER CENT IN IMPORTS.
COMMENTING ON THESE FIGURES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT TRADE FIGURES FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF A YEAR ARE ALWAYS AFFECTED BY THE TIMING OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, AND SO HE WAS AT PAINS TO STRESS THAT THEY HAD TO BE INTERPRETED WITH CARE.
HE ADDED THAT THE RAPID GROWTH RATE OF IMPORTS IN JANUARY WAS ALMOST CERTAINLY SEASONAL, REFLECTING IMPORTS IN ANTICIPATION OF INCREASED RETAIL SALES AROUND THE LUNAR NEW YEAR IN FEBRUARY. THERE HAD BEEN A SIMILAR RAPID GROWTH RATE IN IMPORTS IN DECEMBER 1978 IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR IN JANUARY 1979.
IN SUPPORT