ENG-1983 — Page 261

15

Communications and The Media

港商

福

翻

As visitors to Hong Kong can readily observe, the processes of communications and public information play a more important role here than in almost any other territory in the world.

Much of this activity undoubtedly arises from Hong Kong's geographical situation. Traditionally the territory has been a trading post in the Far East and over the years has expanded into a manufacturing and financial centre as well. For all these roles sophisticated international communications have been developed.

Satellite and the latest telecommunications equipment is geared to the community's international needs. As well as serving Hong Kong's own commercial interests, these facilities have attracted news media representatives from many parts of the world. Indeed, no other place of similar size can rival the range and intensity of media activity. News agencies, newspapers with international readerships and overseas television companies and corporations have found it convenient to establish their bureaux and offices here. Regional publications produced in Hong Kong have prospered, reflecting the territory's enhanced position as a centre of industrial and trading expertise.

Within Hong Kong itself there is a lively and extensive news media made up of many daily newspapers, a range of weekly magazines, two private television companies and three radio stations. There is a free, critical and outspoken press without legislative controls other than those intended to provide safeguards against libel and pornography. The news media provides an efficient and speedy supply of information to a literate, industrious and healthily inquisitive society.

The news media plays a vital part in the territory's precautionary measures against sudden climatic threats. When typhoons approach or rainstorms spell danger the news media reacts to alert, inform and advise the population.

Against this background it is not surprising that remarkable advances and innovations have taken place in the information field in recent years. The government has matched this progress by producing and participating in an increasing number of public affairs programmes on television and radio, and by expanding its information services.

The Press

Hong Kong's flourishing free press consists of 69 newspapers and 436 periodicals, which have a high readership. More than 300 copies of newspapers are printed for every 1 000 people in Hong Kong. The world average is some 100 to every 1 000 people. The news- papers include 54 Chinese-language dailies, eight English dailies, five other English papers, one bilingual paper and one Japanese-language paper.

Of the Chinese-language dailies, 39 cover mainly general news, both local and overseas, while others solely cover entertainment, especially television and cinema news. The larger