Radio_Hong_Kong_1957-1958 — Page 14

41. Basketball and Volleyball matches at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre and the Southorn Playground were also covered by live or recorded commentaries.

42. Non-sporting outside broadcasts covered the usual major events of the year, but improved techniques brought much more effective programmes. For instance, a live broadcast was arranged on the opening day of the Chinese Manufacturers Association's 15th Exhibition of Hong Kong Products and by establishing a central sound control and commentary position in the Exhibition ground and having several mobile interviewers walking round the stands, it was possible to bring listeners on both the English and Chinese services a fast moving description of the scene.

43. The most elaborate outside broadcasts ever arranged by Radio Hong Kong took place on New Year's Eve, a day which will be remembered with feeling by the technicians who rushed from the out- side broadcast sites at Queens Pier, from which Sir Alexander Grantham left Hong Kong in the morning, to four different sites for a New Year's Eve roundup broadcast in the evening.

For the departure of H.E. the Governor, a central sound control position was established in one outside broadcast van, parked by the pier. From this position two master commentators, one Chinese and one English, produced a continuous description of the scene from the moment the Governor arrived at the pier until the ship on which he was sailing was almost through Lei Yue Mun Pass. Commentators were positioned on Queen's Pier and on the Star Ferry pier; the passage of the ship down the harbour was covered from a Revenue launch kindly lent by the Commerce and Industry Department, equipped with a radio telephone. The complications of such a broadcast, involving elaborate cueing arrangements between commentators, are considerable, but the experience gained is most valuable.

44. Another elaborate outside broadcast came from the Government Stadium at So Kon Po on December 28th when the Colony gave a public farewell to Sir Alexander and Lady Grantham. Besides broad- casting the ceremony complete in English and Chinese, Radio Hong Kong provided a balanced sound output of the bands, choirs and speeches to television and film cameramen. On this occasion a total of ten microphones were used.

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