Government, the Postmaster General thanked the members of the Com- mittee for the work and time they had devoted to the interests of Broad- casting. It is proposed to replace the Committee with two smaller and more closely integrated bodies: one for the European Service and one for the Chinese Service.
LICENCES.
45. The number of wireless receiving licences increased from 42,368 on 1st April, 1950 to 43,377 on 31st March, 1951. The cost of wireless licences remained at $20.00.
NEW PREMISES.
46. At the end of March, 1951, Radio Hong Kong was involved in the complex task of removing its programme activities from Gloucester Building to Electra House. (The administrative offices were occupied in May, 1950). The move was accomplished as a result of commendable efforts on the part of all staff-European and Chinese-who on several occasions worked late into the night,-without breaking any of the 18,000 gramophone records and without any break in the transmission of
programmes.
TELECOMMUNICATIONS-GENERAL.
47. The public telephone service is provided by the Hong Kong Telephone Co. Ltd. At the end of 1950, the total number of direct exchange lines was 20,706 and the number of extensions 9,301. Additional apparatus and cables have been ordered, but the task of providing sufficient apparatus and cables still lags behind the demand for new lines--- a position that is common to almost all telephone administrations through- out the world. Certain telecommunication services formerly administered by the Government are now the responsibility of Cable & Wireless Ltd. The Company took over responsibility for the technical maintenance and development of meteorology, aeradio, ship-shore and broadcasting services. Radio-telephone services are available to China, Macao, the Philippines, Formosa, Japan, U.S.A., Canada, the United Kingdom and countries in Western Europe, Singapore, Malaya and Australia.
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