Radio_Hong_Kong_1969-1970 — Page 7

INTRODUCTION-GENERAL REVIEW

On April 25th of the year under review, Radio Hong Kong opened its first permanent studio centre since Government broadcasting began in 1928. Broadcasting House was opened by H.E. The Governor, Sir David TRENCH in the presence of some 400 guests and visitors. It may well be said that this opening was a fitting climax to a broadcasting history going back more than 40 years when Radio Hong Kong first went on the air in 1928.

2. Throughout the summer, work continued on fitting out the studio and office accommodation in Sutherland House. This was brought into use in October, and now functions as the news centre on the Island.

3. Work continued on the establishment of the Government Tele- vision Unit, to which I referred in my last report. Two members of the engineering staff went to Australia for four months on attachments to the television engineering sections of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, a member of the English Service programme staff attended a BBC television production training course, and Mr. J. B. HAWTHORNE, a senior member of the BBC television management team in Northern Ireland, was appointed as Controller of the Unit. Mr. HAWTHORNE, who will be on secondment for two years from the BBC was expected to arrive early in May 1970. Tenders for television equipment were called for in December and closed at the end of February. At the end of March their evaluation was well in hand and it was expected that awards would be made in late April or early May. Work on modify- ing studios and other areas in Broadcasting House to provide accom- modation for the Television Unit had not begun by the end of the year, but was planned to begin shortly thereafter. Television production of public affairs programmes, which will be transmitted by Hong Kong Television Broadcasts and Rediffusion Television under the terms of their agreements with Government, is tentatively scheduled to begin early in 1971.

4. My last report gave an outline of the results of the audience research survey carried out among listeners to the Chinese Service at the end of 1968. A number of important changes were made in the

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