ENG-1950 — Page 108

This expansion has enabled the company to open more radio- telephone circuits. Telephone services are now available to China, Macao, the Philippines, Formosa, Japan, U.S.A., Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries in Western Europe, Austràlia, Singapore and Malaya. In spite of these increased outlets the clearance of over four million forwarded and received messages during the year caused serious congestion in all channels, particularly those to the United Kingdom.

Electra House, the new Far East head office of Cable and Wireless, was formally opened by the Governor on 25th November. This eight-storey building now contains the Central Telegraph Office, ancillary departments previously housed in the G.P.O. Building, and the main telegram counter. Sub-counters are situated at Union Building and Western Market Post Office on the Island, and at the Peninsula Hotel and the airport on the mainland.

Two floors of Electra House have been designed to house new broadcasting studios and offices for Radio Hong Kong.

Telephones

The public telephone service is provided by the Hong Kong Telephone Co., Ltd. At the end of the year the total number of direct exchange lines working on the company's system was 20,706, and the number of extensions 9,301, a total of 30,007 stations compared with 27,732 at the beginning of the year.

The task of providing sufficient exchange apparatus and cables still lags behind the demand for new lines and additional telephone facilities, a position that is common to all telephone administrations throughout the world. Additional apparatus and cables have been ordered which, when received, will substantially improve the situation.

A sub-exchange was opened for service during the year to deal with the East side of the Island, and in the New Territories the company was arranging at the end of the year for the installation of automatic satellite exchanges at Yuen Long, Fanling and Shatin.

Preparations were also in hand to provide a telephone service to Cheung Chau linked to the company's service by radio-telephone.

Broadcasting

Radio Hong Kong is a Government sub-department under the control of the Postmaster General. Transmissions are made from two stations, ZBW (845 k/cs) which is an English-language station with regular weekly programmes in French and Portuguese, and ZEK (640 k/cs) from which broadcasts are made in Cantonese, Mandarin and Swatow dialect. Shortwave transmissions radiate from ZBW3 on a frequency of 9.525 megacycles, and programmes have been heard in such widely separated countries as Australia, the United States, Great Britain, Sweden, and Germany. Throughout 1950 the hours of transmission on weekdays remained constant in both the English and Chinese service-12.15 p.m. to 2 p.m. and

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