CO537-5142 — Page 196

Bec.203/49.

CONFIDENTIAL.

SAVINGRAM

To the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

From the Governor, Hong Kong.

Date 11th June 1949.

No. 461.

CONFIDENTIAL.

5

90

It was decided in the middle of 1948 that the Broadcasting Studios should in due course be moved to the new Electra House which Cable & Wireless Limited were about to build. The present studios are not entirely satisfactory and there were obvious advantages in moving into a new building of which a portion would be specially designed for this particular purpose.

2.

The proposal was that Government should pay a rental for the studios and should also meet any additional constructional costs which resulted from modifications in the design of the building to meet broadcasting requirements. In particular, it was considered necessary to double the ceiling height in the main studio which meant cutting out a portion of the eighth floor of the building and the consequent strengthening of the reinforced concrete walls of the main structure. The capital expenditure was originally estimated at $100,000 and later at $150,000, which sum has been provided in the estimates under Head 31 Sub-head 13. Since then, however, the British Broadcasting Corporation have been asked for their advice in regard to the equipment and acoustical treatment of the new studios, and their recommendations would increase the cost to $285,000, exclusive of air conditioning, special lighting, furniture and fittings.

3.

This is far more than the Colony can afford to expend at the present juncture, when it is faced with ever increasing security commitments. This Government is definitely committed to moving into the new building, so there can be no question of retaining the present studios. In these circumstances, two possible alternatives present themselves: to reduce the capital cost of the new studios to $150,000, or to negotiate with the newly established Broadcast Relay Service (Hong Kong) Limited to take over all Government broadcasting.

4.

The first of these alternatives has little to commend it as it would probably result in a studio which would be no improvement on the present one. The second alternative is the one I favour as I feel that this Colony is too small an area to support two broadcasting organisations, and I understand that in certain Colonies such as Trinidad, the local company, which comes under the same controlling interest as the Hong Kong company, has already taken over all Government broadcasting. The terms of the licence issued to the Broadcast Relay Service (Hong Kong) Limited provide for the control of programmes by Government, and this could be supplemented by the establishment of a Programme Board. There is reason to believe that the company would be fully prepared to take over responsibility for all broadcasting in the Colony, in which case they would no doubt install transmitters to supplement the present re-diffusion service.

5.

The issue is however complicated by your recent proposal to install in this Colony transmitters for a broadcasting service to Southern China. Arrangements could no doubt be made with the Broadcast Relay Service (Hong