18. At the height of the disturbances the directorate of Radio Hong Kong was transferred to Beaconsfield House in order that immediate liaison between the Director of Information Services and Director of Broadcasting could be achieved. The majority of programme staff were taken off regular duties and transferred to the special duties and many new programmes, designed specifically to deal with the emergency and attendant problems, were brought into being.
19. It should be recorded here that all staff, and this includes members of the technical staff employed by Cable and Wireless Ltd., willingly worked extremely long hours throughout the summer and despite the strain, to which was added, in many cases, the threat of personal violence to them and their families contained in letters and the communist press, there was a unanimous spirit of cheerfulness and loyalty to Hong Kong.
20. In other respects, 1967 was a difficult year from the staffing point of view. A number of senior and experienced technical staff resigned upon emigrating to Canada and the U.S.A., and the Chinese Service programme staff was similarly affected although to a lesser degree.
21. For the bulk of the period under review the overall pattern of broadcasting on both services remained constant, with AM and FM transmitters running in parallel, although on occasions there were programme divergencies.
22. Another development which took place within the period of this report but whose significance will become more apparent in future years was the decision taken by Government in early 1968 that Radio Hong Kong should establish a Public Affairs Television Production Unit. This unit, which will be accommodated in a Government Television Centre in Kowloon, associated with an Educational Television Unit, under the Director of Education, will produce documentary and other public affairs programmes for transmission by the authorized television companies of the Colony, i.e. Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Ltd. and Rediffusion (H.K.) Ltd. This new branch of Radio Hong Kong is expected to come into full operation during 1969.
23. Reference has been made in previous reports to the difficulties which the Post Office encountered in the enforcement of the Broadcast Receiving Licence system. In February 1967 there were 181, 967 licences in force, but with the widespread use of transistor radios, of which many
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