ENG-1982 — Page 258

COMMUNICATIONS AND THE MEDIA

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Company, was broadcast as the climax of the station's annual three nights of charity shows entitled Songs to Remember.

During 1982, the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) ceased to be operated directly by the Ministry of Defence and became part of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation, a worldwide organisation providing entertainment, information and training films, video, radio and television for the British forces, under contract to the ministry. However, the function of the two BFBS radio services in Hong Kong remains unchanged: to provide programmes suited to the special needs of the Gurkha and British forces serving in Hong Kong. The station operates FM transmitters at Castle Peak and Brick Hill and an MF transmitter near Ngau Tam Mei in the New Territories.

Nepali programmes, broadcast for more than 76 hours a week, cater for the particular interests of the Brigade of Gurkhas and provide a link with the homeland through music and features which reflect life in Nepal, daily Nepal and world news, regular news reviews, quiz shows and phone-in programmes. Most of the Nepali output is produced by the station's own staff, largely Gurkha soldiers, although a few programmes are received from Radio Nepal and other Nepalese government agencies and from the BBC's Nepali service. Major events are covered at Gurkha camps around the territory, encouraging audience participation.

Involvement in programmes is apparent, too, in the English-language service of BFBS, which operates for about 100 hours a week. Presentation is by freelance broadcasters or service volunteers, plus some 30 hours of programmes provided by the BBC transcription service and a London production centre.

Highlights of the year's English-language programmes included a visit of a BFBS London team to present two Hong Kong editions as live outside broadcasts from forces locations. Locally-presented outside broadcasts covered events at 660 Squadron Army Air Corps, a Royal Navy open day, and religious services for Battle of Britain and Remembrance Sundays. The station provides pop music and shares the BBC radio network's news service. Its coverage of forces matters, the Falklands conflict in particular, provided the services with the information they required through extended news broadcasts.

Television

Television viewing continues to be Hong Kong's principal leisure activity with more than 93 per cent of households owning one or more television sets. Two franchised commercial wireless broadcasting stations, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and Asia Television Limited (ATV) - known as Rediffusion Television Limited (RTV) until September 1982 together transmit an average 508 hours of programming each week. The UHF 625-line PAL colour system is standard and virtually all transmissions are in colour. Both TVB and ATV maintain large well-equipped studios and office complexes using the latest production and transmission techniques.

The television stations are licensed to operate under the provisions of the Television Ordinance which is administered by the Television Authority. This statutory office is vested in the Commissioner for Television and Entertainment Licensing who is responsible for the regulation of the stations' licences and the issue and enforcement of the programme, advertising and technical standards required of the licensees. He is advised in these responsibilities by the Television Advisory Board. One of the main roles of his department, the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) is to monitor regularly the performance of the television stations in carrying out the terms and conditions under which they operate.