ENG-1961 — Page 320

PUBLICATIONS, BROADCASTING AND FILMS

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soundtracks. It was shown at 41 cinemas in Hong Kong alone to audiences estimated at nearly one million.

Other notable departmental activities during 1961 included the successful conclusion of the mass information programme initiated in 1960 to explain the importance of the Census (see Chapter 1), and a 'crash' publicity campaign undertaken at literally a few hours notice in August when an outbreak of cholera threatened the Colony (see Chapter 9).

Although in its everyday work the Department is primarily con- cerned with publicizing the affairs of Hong Kong, everything possible is done to promote knowledge of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, and maximum use is made of material supplied by the Central Office of Information, London, for this purpose. The Department's film library for example, which is largely stocked by the Central Office of Information, issued nearly 3,000 films during the year for exhibition by clubs, schools and other institutions, including a weekly news magazine for Rediffusion's Hong Kong television circuit.

In the Department's Press Division, English and Chinese-speaking officers are on duty call at any hour of the day or night—a service primarily designed to assist newspapermen who require information when the majority of other Government departments have closed. The Division, through its Radio News Room, is responsible also for providing eleven daily news bulletins in English and eight in Chinese for transmission by the Colony's three radio stations, the first bulletin being broadcast in the early morning at 7.15 a.m. and the last just before midnight.

The teleprinter network, installed in 1960, which enables news to be transmitted immediately and simultaneously to major press and broadcasting outlets continued to expand during the year. The addition of a direct teleprinter link with the Royal Observatory in the spring of 1961 proved of particular value especially during the typhoon season since weather news for broadcasting and press can now be transmitted direct and without loss of time through the Department's news distribution network.

The Publicity Division has both local and overseas commitments. In Hong Kong it is responsible for handling publicity campaigns for all Government departments and for the production of posters,