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TUESDAY, MAY 15, 1984
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PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS GET HIGH RECOGNITION: TSAO
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RESEARCH SHOWS THAT GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGNS ON ISSUES OF PUBLIC INTEREST ENJOY HIGH RATES OF PUBLIC RECOGNITION, WITH NO ONE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE PUBLICITY, THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
MR TSAO SAID THAT THE EXCEPTION WAS THE OCCASIONAL TELEVISION CRITIC OR THE ODD ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE WHO ENVIED THE GOVERNMENT'S EXPOSURE BUT THOUGHT HE SHOULD BE EMPLOYED TO CARRY OUT THE WORK.
+ IT DOESN'T WORRY ME THAT THE PUBLICITY DIVISION (OF THE GIS) SELDOM MERITS A MENTION IN THE NEWS COLUMNS. IT WOULD WORRY ME IF THE PUBLIC WERE SIMPLY OBLIVIOUS OF, OR INDIFFERENT TO, THE WORK WE PRODUCE, + MR TSAO SAID IN AN ADDRESS AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE CITY LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG.
THE DIVISION IS RUNNING EIGHT MAJOR CAMPAIGNS THIS YEAR, COVERING CRIME PREVENTION, ROAD SAFETY, FIRE PREVENTION, GAS SAFETY, NARCOTICS PREVENTION, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, NEW ROAD TRAFFIC LEGISLATION AND THE ISSUE OF NEW IDENTITY CARDS.
+NOTICE THE RECURRENCE OF THE WORDS 'PREVENTION' AND 'SAFETY' WHICH RELATE TO FIVE OUT OF THE EIGHT. THEY INDICATE GOVERNMENT'S PRIMARY CONCERN FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR CITIZEN AND WHY THE PUBLIC READILY ACCEPTS AND WILLINGLY RESPONDS TO THE BASIC THEMES WE ARE TRYING TO PUT ACROSS.
+THE FACT THAT WE ARE RUNNING NO MORE THAN EIGHT MAJOR CAMPAIGNS IS DUE NOT SO MUCH TO LACK OF FUNDS OR MANPOWER ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OBVIOUS LIMITATIONS IN THESE REGARDS -- AS TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE ANXIOUS TO AVOID OVERLOADING THE MEDIA,+ HE SAID.
MR TSAO SAID THAT SOME OF THE FREE AIR TIME PLACED AT THE GOVERNMENT'S DISPOSAL BY THE TELEVISION STATIONS AT NO COST UNDER THE LICENSING CONDITIONS WAS TAKEN UP BY THE GIS FOR 30-SECOND COMMERCIALS.
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THESE COMMERCIALS ARE KNOWN AS APIS, AN ACRONYM FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST.
MR JUSTICE POWER, WHO CHAIRS THE BROADCASTING REVIEW BOARD, RECENTLY OPINED THAT APIS STAND FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, RATHER THAN OF PUBLIC INTEREST, HE SAID.
+AND I HEARTILY AGREE THAT IS A MORE ACCURATE DESCRIPTION. BUT THE KEY WORD IS INTEREST, FOR THIS IS PRECISELY THE RESPONSE THAT WE ARE ENDEAVOURING TO ENGAGE.
+WHETHER THEY ARE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, OR MERELY OF PUBLIC INTEREST, IS ENTIRELY IRRELEVANT IF, IN THE END, THE ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE NOT TO THEMSELVES SUFFICIENTLY INTERESTING, MR TSAO STATED.
/HE POINTED