Radio_Hong_Kong_1964-1965 — Page 8

now being taken to enforce the legislation which requires the purchase and renewal of annual licences (HK$20 per annum).

CHINESE SERVICE

4. Cantonese is the principal dialect of spoken Chinese in Hong Kong and is the main language used in the department's broadcasts. Nevertheless, news bulletins and important announcements are also broadcast in Kuoyu (Mandarin), Hakka and Chiu Chow for those residents who do not understand Cantonese and who might therefore miss the opportunity of learning about local developments or emergencies, such as typhoons.

5. The Chinese Service continued to try to provide as balanced a service as possible of entertainment, education and information; this is no easy task within the confines of one daily transmission of 17 hours which includes more than one dialect. Nevertheless, enthusiasm by both staff and outside contributors resulted in several innovations and developments in the programme field. Apart from the lack of technical facilities the main limitations affecting an expanded service are the shortage of studio accommodation and staff. However, these problems should be considerably eased when the department is re-housed in 1967 and it should, thereafter, be possible to offer more homogenic services than present circumstances permit.

STAFF

6. With the return of one officer from secondment to the British Broadcasting Corporation the Chinese Service was up to full strength for the year. The staff consists of a Head of Programmes, 12 producers and 7 announcers (4 Cantonese, 3 Kuoyu). In addition to members of the staff a considerable number of outside contributors assisted in the task of filling the programme hours. Because of language difficulties the Chinese Service does not have, as is available to the English Service, access to the transcription services of other broadcasting organizations and, with the exception of B.B.C. relays of news, all programmes are locally produced. This calls for considerable judgment in the allocation of staff and funds available and also accounts for the comparatively high figure of Outside Broadcasts which are featured in the programme statistics.

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