ENG-1976 — Page 228

14

The Media

HONG KONG has a free press comprising 358 publications, and newspaper readership figures put the population among the world's most avid readers.

There are three commercial television stations which reach an estimated three million viewers a day, and two radio stations which broadcast on seven channels in both English and Chinese. The price of a radio or television in Hong Kong is believed to be the lowest in the world and no licence is required for either. In most cases, the price of newspapers remains a mere 30 cents.

Press

Newspapers account for 118 of the 358 publications now registered with the Registrar of Newspapers. Some 350 copies of newspapers are printed for every 1,000 people in Hong Kong. In Asia, only Japan exceeds this figure, with 490 copies to every 1,000 people. The world average is 109 per thousand people.

Hong Kong's newspapers include four English dailies and 103 Chinese language papers. The combined daily circulation of the English language papers is estimated at 115,000, while the Chinese newspapers have an estimated circulation of 1.4 million. Four of the Chinese dailies sell more than 100,000 copies each.

The number of English dailies was increased to four on September 1 with the publication of the Asian Wall Street Journal. The paper covers Asian and international business, economic and financial news, and it is unique among the local print media in that it uses satellite transmissions in its electronic communications system.

Periodicals represent a main sector of the press. There are 240 periodicals—171 Chinese, 47 English and 22 bilingual. These magazines cover a wide range of subjects, from specialist technical journals to local entertainment guides.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association, established in 1968, has a membership of 600. It seeks to raise professional standards by pressing for better training of journalists and also counsels its members involved in dispute with employers. The association has a six-point code of ethics. In recent years it has conducted com- petitions to encourage young journalists to improve their skills and eight competition winners have been sent on overseas trips to study media developments.

An off-shoot of the association is the Hong Kong Press Club in Wan Chai which provides social and working facilities for journalists. Informal discussions between journalists and people in the news are organised regularly at the Press Club.