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PRESS, BROADCASTING AND CINEMA

wired television services. Radio Hong Kong is a government department financed from general revenue and the station does not carry any advertising. It is the longest established broadcasting organization in the Colony and began transmissions in 1928-being the second colonial station to come into operation. Separate Chinese and English services are each broadcast for 17 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to midnight, on medium wave and on VHF/FM. The Chinese service is also broadcast on short wave. The present studio centre is in Mercury House, the Far East Headquarters of Cable and Wireless Limited, who are responsible for all the technical operations of the department.

Both Radio Hong Kong programme services lay emphasis on providing comprehensive and authoritative information, through frequent world and local news bulletins, news actuality magazines, talks, documentaries and features. Programmes for specific groups of people are exemplified by such Chinese service broadcasts as features for the blind, farmers and fishermen, students and members of community centres, and by the English service 'Pearl in Your Hand', which has continued to prove a novel and successful method of informing tourists and newcomers about the Colony. During the year 'Pearl in Your Hand' included over 1,300 programme items and received many hundreds of letters asking for further information.

There is no formal broadcasting service for schools, but for general listening the Chinese service broadcasts English lessons and programmes on geography, history, science, industry and music appreciation. The English service has had considerable success in teaching Cantonese to expatriate listeners and, additionally, carries programmes on Hong Kong's universities, music appreciation and history. 'Hong Kong in History', broadcast in English and now in preparation in Cantonese, traced the development of Hong Kong from its earliest beginnings.

Drama, Cantonese music and comedy shows make up the broad entertainment base of the Chinese service. The newly-formed Radio Hong Kong Cantonese Orchestra gained public popularity both over the air and in the City Hall. Entertainment on the English service covers the whole range of serious and popular music, with the majority of visiting international artists and orchestras taking