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PRESS, BROADCASTING AND CINEMA
which operates its own highly automated colour laboratories, produces about 40 pictures a year and is aiming to increase its output to 50.
Hong Kong films are popular throughout Asia and have become increasingly well received in other countries. Today Mandarin pictures produced here are exhibited all over the world including North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Costs for location shooting in Hong Kong are still considerably lower than in other leading international centres such as Spain, Italy and Mexico. Labour costs are economical, yet international standards in service are consistently maintained. These advantages, combined with Hong Kong's unique story possibilities and some distinctive scenery, are drawing an increasing number of overseas producers to the Colony. 'The Yin and the Yang of Mr Go' with James Mason was made at Shaw Brothers' studios in Hong Kong and other producers have announced firm plans to film all or part of coming productions here.
There are 97 cinemas in the Colony, with a total seating capacity of 118,355. Attendance figures are among the highest in the world per head of population and amounted to 74 million in 1971.
Films for public exhibition within Hong Kong are subject to censorship in accordance with the law and must be viewed by the film censors panel. A total of 7,592 films were submitted for censor- ship during the year including 126 local productions.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES
The Government Information Services is given the responsibility of keeping the people of Hong Kong and the rest of the world accurately informed of the Government's policies and achievements. The department is linked by teleprinter to 67 newspapers, news agencies, broadcasting and television stations as well as City District Offices.
It is separated into three divisions-news, technical services and public relations, with certain services common to all three. The news division operates in two main sections-press and radio news. The press section channels information to newspapers and deals with press enquiries 24 hours a day, while the radio news section specialises in the preparation of world and local news bulletins for the Colony's sound broadcasting stations and Rediffusion television. Thirty-three radio news bulletins in English and Chinese are prepared daily, ranging in length from full 10-minute bulletins to two-minute
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