ENG-1960 — Page 302

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PUBLICATIONS, BROADCASTING AND FILMS

the smooth working of the whole Department. Nevertheless, despite these growing pains, 1960 was a year of solid achievement for the Government Information Services.

In the Press Division duty officers, both English and Chinese- speaking, are now on call at any hour-a service primarily designed to assist newspapermen who seek information after the majority of other Government departments have closed. Round-the-clock working has also helped to expand the service of news bulletins broadcast by the Colony's three radio stations, since the Division's Radio News Section can produce bulletins, more or less on request, at any time from start of transmission at 7 a.m. until close-down at midnight. Locally originated evening news bulletins now for the first time regularly supplement those relayed from the BBC.

As an aid to efficient working and to speed the transmission of information, teleprinter links have been established between the Press Division News Room, the three radio stations and a number of leading newspapers and newsagencies. By means of this tele- printer network, news of importance and urgent announcements can be transmitted simultaneously and automatically to the principal outlets within a matter of minutes with consequent saving of time in making individual telephone calls.

At the end of the year an inward teleprinter link was being installed from the Royal Observatory, and from the spring of 1961 all weather news for broadcasting and newspaper use will be carried on the Information Services network. This service should save Observatory staff from having to answer 40 to 50 telephone inquiries (each of 5 to 10 minutes' duration) from newspapers and radio stations during the course of the average day-and from two to three times that volume during emergency.

In the Publicity Division, the most interesting development was undoubtedly the start made, however belatedly; in the use of films as an information medium. Staff was recruited during the spring and summer months for a small and compact but efficient film unit, and the team got into its stride in the autumn. By the end of the year the unit had completed four short films explaining the aims of the 1961 Census to the community at large (these were shown in some 40 cinemas throughout the Colony), and a 20 minutes' educational film to assist in the training of the 18,000 enumerators to be employed in census-taking; it was half-way