whom forty seven were programme staff and the remainder executive, clerical and secretarial. In addition, thirty two technical staff were employed by Cable and Wireless Limited for broadcasting operations.
LICENCES
149. The annual fee for a receiving licence remains at $20, the issue of licences being the responsibility of the Postmaster General. As previously mentioned, licences increased by 30,926 or 41.9% during the year, the total standing at 104,688 on the 31st March.
ACCOMMODATION
150. To relieve chronic pressure on office accommodation, a major alteration scheme was carried out in Mercury House. The English and Chinese Record Libraries previously separately housed, were accom- modated in a new library built on the 7th floor, passages were converted into offices and stores, and the balcony previously used to seat audiences in the concert hall was taken in as office space.
151. The main air conditioning plant, which served offices and studios on the 6th and 7th floors was also redesigned to serve studios only, while offices and record library were provided with individual air conditioning units.
152. The alterations, drastic as they were, improved working condi- tions for staff, although offices are still overcrowded.
VISITORS
153. His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, Mr. C. B. BURGESS, C.M.G., O.B.E., paid a visit to the department in October when he was given an opportunity to see at first hand the programme and technical operations of the department.
154. Other distinguished visitors during the year included U Nu, Prime Minister of Burma, H.R.H. Prince Peter of Greece and Denmark, HAN Suyin, Mr. Patrick K. K. QUAIDOO (Ghana Minister of Commerce and Industry), H. H. EGGERS (Chairman of Cable and Wireless Ltd.), E. Arnot ROBERTSON, Jack PAAR (NBC, New York), Edward R. MURROW (CBS, New York), and John DOUGLASS, Director of Rural Broadcasting, Australian Broadcasting Commission.
155. Mr. DOUGLASS, who visited Hong Kong on his way back from attending the Commonwealth Broadcasting Conference in New Delhi,
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