XN000022-1976-03-31 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1976

GOVERNMENT'S TELEVISION SERVICES TO MERGE ******

GOVERNMENT'S TWO TELEVISION PRODUCTION ORGANISATIONS ARE TO BE COMBINED INTO A SINGLE UNIT UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY A SPOKESMAN FOR THE COLONIAL SECRETARIAT SAID THAT THE EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION SERVICE (ETV) WHICH IS NOW PART OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL MERGE WITH RADIO HONG KONG TELEVISION (RHKTV) TO ENABLE THE BEST USE TO BE MADE OF THE CREATIVE TELEVISION TALENT AND PRODUCTION RESOURCES OF THE TWO UNITS.

THE MERGER WILL COMMENCE NEXT MONTH (APRIL) AND BE COMPLETED BY JULY 1, 1976. ALTHOUGH THE MERGED UNIT WILL BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING, MR. JAMES HAWTHORNE, THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION WILL CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THÉ CONTENT OF ALL ETV PROGRAMMES AND EVALUATING ETV PROGRAMMES TRANSMITTED TO CLASSROOMS. ETV PRODUCERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE EMPLOYED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

THE

ETV AT PRESENT PRODUCES PROGRAMMES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS COVERING CHINESE, ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SOCIAL STUDIES. PROGRAMMES ARE CURRICULUM-BASED AND ARE TRANSMITTED BY ALL THREE TELEVISION STATIONS OVER EIGHT HOURS DAILY FOR A 32 WEEK SCHOOL BROADCAST YEAR.

RHKTV, WHICH CAME ON AIR IN 1971, PRODUCES A NUMBER OF PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMMES FOR TRANSMISSION BY THE COMMERCIAL STATIONS: AMONG ITS POPULAR PRODUCTIONS IS BELOW LION ROCK WHICH DRAWS A COMBINED AUDIENCE OF OVER 2 MILLION.

WITH EFFECT FROM TODAY, THE ENGLISH NAME OF THE GOVERNMENT BROADCASTING STATION WILL ALSO BE CHANGED FROM RADIO HONG KONG TO RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG TO REFLECT MORE ACCURATELY THE STATION'S ACTIVITIES. THE COMMISSIONER FOR CHINESE LANGUAGE HAS ADVISED THAT THE PRESENT CHINESE NAME FOR THE STATION REMAINS APPROPRIATE AND THIS WILL NOT BE CHANGED. CHANNEL IDENTIFICATION SIGNALS RHK3 AND RHK4 WILL BE REPLACED BY THE "RADIO 3' AND 'RADIO 4' RESPECTIVELY.

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