Radio_Hong_Kong_1959-1960 — Page 22

in 1959, by a daily programme parade which picked out the highlights of the day's broadcasting.

72. Several Chinese newspapers carry a summary of the day's programmes, but the major publicity organ is the Wah Kiu Yat Po which publishes a half page article each Friday, written by a member of Radio Hong Kong's programme staff.

PART III

ENGLISH PROGRAMME SERVICE

INTRODUCTION

73. The English service is heard in the early morning, at lunchtime and in the evening, making an average of nine and a half hours a day; on weekends and public holidays it is on the air all day. All broad- casting is done in English except for two weekly programmes, one in French and one in Portuguese. Transmission are broadcast on 860 kc/s, and will be broadcast on 91 mc/s when VHF/FM transmissions begin.

74. The knowledge that there is a large number of Chinese listeners who regularly tune in to the English service presents unusual problems to which there are no simple answers. Suffice it to say that the aware- ness that many people use the English service for frankly educational purposes imposes serious obligations which will only be fully discharged with the advent of all day broadcasting, coincident with the introduction of VHF/FM transmissions in 1960.

75. Probably the most outstanding feature of the year's broadcasting over the English service was the greatly increased coverage of life and events in Hong Kong by more and more complex outside broadcasts. Increases in staff and equipment made possible successful broadcasts ranging from the New Year's Eve Roundup, with commentaries from six different centres in the Colony, to the live broadcast of the Vienna Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, the first time a major European orchestra had been broadcast. Another ambitious series which met with success was a variety show for young people called 'Radio Clubhouse', which featured a number of leading Colony bands and visiting guest artists in live broadcasts before invited audiences. The favourable publicity produced by this series revealed a considerable demand for this type of programme from young people in the Colony.

76. The problem of providing a balanced service in only nine hours a day on the air continued to be critical during the year; and the

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