Radio_Hong_Kong_1962-1963 — Page 7

INTRODUCTION

RADIO Hong Kong broadcasts programmes in Chinese and English. The main Chinese dialect is Cantonese, but news and important an- nouncements are also broadcast in Kuoyu, Chiu Chow and Hakka. 2. Both programme services are on the air from 7 a.m. to midnight daily. As a public service broadcasting organization, Radio Hong Kong carries no advertising. As with other Departments, it is financed from general revenue, but part of the expenditure is covered by the sale of Broadcast Receiving Licences. On 31st March, 1963, the number of licences in force was 142,151; a licence costs $20 annually and revenue for the year 1962-63 was $2,843,020. It seems clear that the licensing system is not as effective as it might be and at the end of the year con- sideration was being given to the possibilities of a more effective enforcement of revenue collection.

3. The present studio centre is in Mercury House, the Far East Headquarters of Messrs. Cable and Wireless (H.K.) Ltd., although plans are now going ahead to transfer all services to a newly re-conditioned building in the old naval dockyard of Hong Kong. It is hoped that this move will be completed by the end of 1964.

4. The engineering services of Radio Hong Kong are carried out by Messrs. Cable and Wireless (H.K.) Ltd., who operate the studio centre and the transmitting stations at Hung Hom (Medium and Short Wave services) and Mount Gough (Frequency Modulation services). The receiving station is situated on Mount Butler.

5. The development of Radio Hong Kong has kept pace with the considerable growth of interest in broadcasting which has taken place in recent years, both in the Colony and throughout the world. Un- doubtedly, the advent of the small and relatively inexpensive transistor radio has done much to stimulate such interest, but the general improve- ment in sound quality has also been a significant factor. Listening habits have also changed during the past fifteen years or so, and the public now requires a powerful local signal combined with appealing pro- grammes. In earlier days, when the station was less developed, Hong Kong listeners tended to concentrate more on overseas stations and the quality of reception on short-waves was one of the determining

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